Kurt Busch, a former NASCAR Cup Series champion and one of the sport’s most recognizable figures, shared a nostalgic Instagram story on January 29 as a nod to his early career success in stock car racing. The 2004 champion shared a photograph from 1997, proudly holding a winner’s trophy at Tucson Speedway, a significant track.
The IG Story highlighted an important point in Busch’s career when he began gaining national recognition in stock car racing in the 1997 Winter Heat Series held at Tucson Speedway.
“Tucson Raceway when I attended the University of Arizona,” Kurt Busch captioned the story (see image below).
While Busch started his career in Dwarf cars, his big break came on the back of an unfortunate event. The driver of #70 NASCAR Winter Heat Series car, Chris Trickle, tragically lost his life in an accident. The Star Nursery team, which sponsored the car, offered the vacant seat to Busch.
At the time, Busch was balancing his racing career while pursuing a pharmacy degree at the University of Arizona. He grabbed the opportunity and made a strong impression during the 1997 season, propelling his successful NASCAR career.
Busch’s NASCAR achievements are nothing short of remarkable. He competed in 778 Cup Series races, securing 34 victories, 161 top-five results, and 339 top-ten results. His most prized achievement came in 2004 when he claimed the Cup Series championship with Roush Racing with three wins and 21 top-ten results that year.
Despite his impressive career, Busch’s time in NASCAR had its challenges as well. In 2022, after a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway, Busch was sidelined due to concussion symptoms, forcing him to miss the final five regular-season races. His health struggles ultimately led to his decision to step away from full-time racing in August of 2023.
Kurt Busch set to come out of retirement at 2025 Race of Champions
Kurt Busch will soon make his return to competitive racing for the first time since 2022. He will represent Team USA alongside Travis Pastrana at the 2025 Race of Champions, scheduled for March 7-8 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
The Race of Champions brings together top drivers from various motorsport disciplines to compete in both national and individual events. Kurt Busch has participated in this prestigious competition twice before, most recently in 2017 when he and his brother Kyle Busch finished as runner-ups.
Speaking about his return, Busch expressed gratitude for the opportunity and reflected on his competitive spirit:
“Race car drivers always push the limits to be the best and drive to win. That is what I have strived for my whole career, and to receive another invite from Race of Champions is a chance to go up against the best of the best from around the world. What an honor. Thank you RoC. Go Team USA,” Busch told Autosport.
This return comes on the back of him receiving medical clearance after a lengthy recovery from concussion-related issues.
Edited by Shirsh
