Busch, 44, has been sidelined from competition since he suffered symptoms from a concussion in a July 23 accident during qualifying at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.
“I’m still not 100-percent and I’m still not cleared to race,” Busch said Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
As a result Busch said he will not race again this season and could not commit to compete for a championship in the No. 45 Toyota in 2023 for 23XI Racing.
“This is more of being unselfish and respecting what has to happen in this industry,” Busch said. “I will get back to 100-percent I promise.”
Reddick to the No. 45
In a statement, 23XI Racing said it had reached an agreement with Richard Childress Racing to allow Tyler Reddick to join the organization a year earlier than planned and step in for Busch in the No. 45 beginning next season.
“From the day Kurt Busch joined our team we knew he was going to elevate our organization in many ways. From earning 23XI our first playoff berth with his commanding win at Kansas Speedway to numerous hours spent off the track helping to grow our program, Kurt has made us better,” the 23XI Racing statement said.
“This season took an unexpected turn with his injury. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Kurt has not stopped being a true professional and a trusted teammate. We fully support Kurt’s decision to focus on his health and are grateful for his guidance as our team builds a strong foundation for the future.”
A Hall of Fame career
In 776 career Cup starts, Busch has 34 wins, 161 top-five and 339 top-10 finishes. He’s won 28 poles and the 2014 series championship. He also has five wins in 30 Xfinity starts and four wins in 28 Truck starts.
Busch’ has also shown interest in other forms of motorsports including sports cars (he was third in the 2008 Daytona 24 Hours) and the IndyCar Series (he finished sixth in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 in his lone series start).
“Kurt’s decision to step away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition next year is certainly not something anyone expected when we started the season together and celebrated in victory lane at Kansas Speedway earlier this year. Unfortunate circumstances led Kurt to a difficult decision, but we know that he will continue to contribute to the entire program at Toyota, TRD and 23XI Racing,” said David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development.
“He brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and firsthand championship experience…
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