Kurt Busch will not be returning to the race track in the immediate future, the No. 45 23XI Toyota driver is pulling out of the playoffs and will miss the beginning of the postseason.
Busch has been sidelines since Pocono and was replaced by Ty Gibbs, After hitting the wall in Pocono qualifying and suffering a concussions.
23xi Racing team did not determine precisely how many playoff races Busch will be missing for.
Kurt Busch to miss remainder of regular Cup Series season
“I respect the sport of NASCAR, my fellow drivers and the fans too much to take up a playoff spot if I know I can’t compete for a championship this season,” Busch said. “The decision was not an easy one, but I know it is the right thing to do.”
Kurt Busch decision to withdraw makes it more likely that Ryan Blaney earns himself a spot in the Cup Series playoffs.
If there’s no new winner at Daytona this weekend, both Blaney and Truex will make the playoffs.
The announcement received some negative feedback from NASCAR fans suggesting that it’s a ulterior motives to open up an extra spot in the playoff to either Ryan Blaney or Martin Truex Jr.
23XI President Steve Lauletta was on Sirius iXMNASCAR Radio Thursday night and quickly to put a end to such rumors saying the decision to withdraw Kurt Busch was based on medical reasons.
Them cheating Toyotas are back… do you think they would have done this had a Toyota driver not been the next driver out of playoffs. Nope. They would have held onto waiver even if he couldnt race.
— Kyle Martin (@kmart128) August 25, 2022
“Nobody has tried to pull any strings it’s just about Kurt Busch getting better.” said 23xi president Steve Lauletta.
💭 "Nobody has tried to pull any strings [it's just about] @KurtBusch getting better."
🗣️ @23XIRacing team President @slauletta joined @ClaireBLang on #DialedIn to discuss Busch bowing out of playoffs contention and to dispel rumors about potential ulterior motives. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/1NnBrytKE1
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) August 26, 2022
NASCAR made a statement on Kurt Busch and his withdrawal of waiver request to be eligible for the Cup Series playoffs.
“Kurt Busch has managed this difficult situation like the champion that he is. Working closely with his doctors, every decision made has been in the best interest of his health, his competitors and the sport. Kurt has NASCAR’s full support as he continues to heal, and we look forward to seeing him return to the race car.”