“It Kills Him..” – Bubba Wallace Gives an Insider Look on Kurt Busch’s Painful Absence From NASCAR

The Next-Gen car has received an immense amount of criticism from drivers, especially regarding its sturdiness and underlining concern for driver safety. One of the biggest victims of it has been 23XI Racing. Bubba Wallace revealed the issues the team faced.

The M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono was far from being normal. Kurt Busch was involved in a crash in qualifying that put him out of contention for the race. 23XI Racing would have imagined he’d be back after a few days, given the routine nature of the crash.

But quite the opposite happened – doctors advised him to stop full-time racing. An emotional Busch made the announcement in Las Vegas, “It is best for me to ‘shut it down.’ I know I am not 100% in my ability to go out and race at the top level in the NASCAR Cup Series.”

In 2023, Tyler Reddick will join as Busch’s permanent replacement. However, the setback did not stop Busch from continuing his involvement in the sport.

A very appreciative Bubba said, “That’s the type of veteran leadership that we need,” referring to how Kurt was always on the race track trying to help Bubba out in understanding what the car was doing and what needed to be done to perform better.

Bubba further added, “He’s not driving, and I know it kills him. It would kill me if I wasn’t driving. Especially with the circumstances that he’s in, but he’s not just lying over. He wants to see this team succeed, and he feels he has an obligation to fulfill in this new, which is important.”

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Busch has faced a lot of adversity – but his grit has allowed him to rise above the disappointments. The icon deserves credit for his determination and spirit.

Bubba Wallace reflects on a C-minus 2022 season

The off-season is a chance for drivers to reflect, hit the reset button, and come back refreshed – attempting to be their best possible versions for the new season. But Bubba is different.

The 23XI Racing driver said, “As much as I’m ready for the off-season, I’m ready for next season to start.” This sentiment, however, is not something he felt for a major duration of the season; it comes at the back of a (relatively) stronger second half.

Bubba rated his start to the season a poor C-minus. That grade changed substantially for him and the team in the second half, the driver rating the latter part of the season somewhere between A and A-minus.

He further reflected on the season, “One hundred percent [if he is optimistic about 2023]. Just having conversations [recently] about how we are so much better as a team and as a manufacturer from Phoenix [race] one to Phoenix [race] two, it just makes you think about how much better you’ll be starting the year off.”

“It took us all year to figure out this car; we’re still figuring it out day by day. Having the right people in our camp and back at the shop figuring all that out to get us ready and prepped for next year is super exciting.”

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The statistics back Bubba’s buoyancy. He had 8 top-10 finishes and 1 win in the latter half compared to 0 wins and 2 top-10 finishes. The break comes at the wrong time for him. However, he must find a way to carry the momentum forward past the off-season.