Getty Kurt Busch has made a major announcement about his schedule.
23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch has provided a major update about his return to the Cup Series. The driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry has announced he will miss the remaining regular-season races as he recovers from concussion-like symptoms.
“As much as I want to be back in the car, the time is still not right,” Busch said in a statement on August 18. “Over the last few weeks, I have focused all my efforts on getting better. And in order to fully focus my recovery on trying to be back for the playoffs, I will not be competing in the next two races at Watkins Glen and Daytona.
“This decision was not an easy one, but the right one,” Busch continued. “I need to be racing at 100%. I owe that to everyone at 23XI, all of our partners, my fellow competitors, and the fans.”
Busch reiterated that his goal is to be back in the No. 45 Toyota Camry by the start of the playoffs, which will take place at Darlington Raceway on September 4. He then thanked everyone for the support and the well-wishes.
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This Decision Has an Impact on the Playoff Field
GettyKurt Busch’s decision locked Alex Bowman (top) into the playoffs.
Heading toward Watkins Glen International, there were five one-win drivers in need of some help to reach the playoffs. This list included Alex Bowman, Daniel Saurez, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, and Busch.
These drivers would have all secured spots in the playoffs if a previous winner returned to Victory Lane. This would have created a scenario where there could only be 16 winners in the regular season, so none of the drivers would have lost their spots.
With Busch announcing that he will miss the two remaining regular-season races, the situation changes. Bowman, Suarez, Cindric, and Briscoe all clinch their spots in the playoffs. They won’t see a scenario where Busch wins again and knocks them closer to the cutline.
Ty Gibbs Will Continue To Make Cup Series Starts
GettyTy Gibbs will return to the No. 45 Toyota Camry.
With Busch announcing his absence for the next two races, this means that Ty Gibbs will have more starts in the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD. He has already suited up for the first four Cup Series races of his career, and he will add two more while pulling double-duty.
Gibbs’ most recent start took place at Richmond Raceway. He raced head-to-head against Kyle Busch and turned heads by moving the No. 18 out of the way at one point in the race. However, his day came to an early end due to an engine issue.
Prior to the trip to Richmond, Gibbs competed at Pocono Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Michigan International Speedway. He turned in 16th, 17th, and 10th-place finishes in the No. 45 while leading two total laps.
“I know Ty will continue to do a great job in my absence, and I appreciate the competitiveness he’s brought to the track,” Busch added in his statement on Twitter.
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