Kurt Busch still has not raced since suffering a concussion last year, and he still has some steps to complete in his recovery.
Busch was not medically cleared to drive in the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway last year after crashing during qualifying ahead of the July 24 race. He was replaced by Ty Gibbs in the No. 45 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing for the remainder of the regular season.
Nearly seven months have passed since then, and Busch still is not fully recovered. The 44-year-old driver spoke with the media on Friday ahead of the Daytona 500. The 2017 Daytona 500 champion gave an update on his status.
Kurt Busch believes he'll make a full recovery from his concussion and lives a normal day-to-day life, but is still struggling with workouts that simulate the final steps in actually racing again. He doesn't seem bitter, but still has some work to do with his injury.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 17, 2023
“I just know I’m not 100% to race with these guys at this level,” he said. “Could I go do a (Sports Car Club of America) club race next week? Probably not wise. Just when I have my head in the headrest and with that movement, that bothers me. I’ve made progress since August, and I believe there will be a full recovery. But the balance and eye movement now are getting interest.”
Busch said he had to take the entire month of December off from workouts, which he has now reduced to every other day.
Busch has been replaced this year by Tyler Reddick, who is driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Busch is serving as a consultant for 23XI and as a brand representative for Monster Energy. If he does get cleared to race, 23XI says they would make the No. 67 car available to him.
