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CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kurt Busch said Tuesday he remains “hopeful” he will recover from his concussion in time to race again before the end of the NASCAR season.
In the year The 2004 Cup champion retired after the July 23 qualifier at Pocono Raceway. He has missed 10 races so far – both Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace have driven the No.45 Toyota for the 23XI since Busch was injured – and has given up his eligibility for the game.
“I’m doing well. Every week is better progress and I feel better and I don’t know when I will be back, but time will be the test. “There is responsibility here,” Bush said.
There are six races left in the season and 23XI owner Denny Hamlin says the team has contingency plans for Busch’s recovery and is not pressuring the 44-year-old back into the car. Bush is under contract at 23XI through next season for the 2024 election.
Bush attended several events to promote his recovery and enjoyed a night at the rodeo over the weekend. But Tuesday’s visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 10th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month was Busch’s first public appearance as a NASCAR driver since the injury.
Attending the “Window of Hope” program for the second year in a row, next week’s race at Roval in Charlotte, all the window netting on the Cup cars will be pink meshing. Busch credited the Toyota Performance Center at TRD’s North Carolina headquarters for helping him recover and get back out to events.
“I feel hopeful. I know I have a lot of doctor visits and a long way to go, and I’m going to keep pushing every week,” Bush said. It’s a group of angels that help me balance. It’s just my overall balance.
He said his vision is nearly 20/20 in one eye, but the other eye is lagging behind in recovery. Busch also said he wasn’t sure why he was injured by what appeared to be a routine back-up of his car against the wall during qualifying.
NASCAR introduced its Next Gen car this year, designed to cut costs and level the playing field, but the spec car’s safety is under fire after the Busch crash. Drivers complained that they felt the impact on crashes more than they had in the old car, and a rash of flat tires and damaged components plagued the first four finals.
Busch said the shock was “something I never knew would go as far as injury,” and likened his health battle to the breast cancer survivors who helped paint the pit wall at Charlotte Rose at next week’s race.
“Every situation is different. Same with a breast cancer survivor. Not every story is the same, not every injury is the same,” Bish said. “It’s not like you have a broken arm and then you can take the cast off and bench press 300 pounds. It is a process. I don’t know what kind of journey I’m on, but I’ll keep pushing.”
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