For NASCAR drivers, there cannot be a greater feeling than becoming a Daytona 500 winner. And folks, it’s not easy to bag that ‘Harley J. Earl’ trophy. If ‘the Intimidator’ only had the pleasure once in his 7-championship-laden career, you can do the maths on how tough it is. But it doesn’t matter if it takes 20 attempts or 40. The day a driver is in the victory lane of the Daytona 500, it all becomes worth it.

Remember Mike Joy’s call when Dale Earnhardt Sr. won it in ’98? “Twenty years of trying, twenty years of frustration! Dale Earnhardt will come to the caution flag to win the Daytona 500! Finally!” What a storyline. And while Sr. took 2o years, Kurt Busch’s crew chief had to wait a whole decade more to get his first. And it being his home track, it became a whole lot special.

Tony Gibson wins the 2017 Daytona 500

If you remember the final lap of the race, Kyle Larson was poised for the win, but Kurt Busch remained determined on his tail. And eventually Larson in the #42 car was out of fuel. That’s how the Daytona 500 is. Everything needs to be perfect, the pit stops, the fuel strategy, everything. And that day, the Kurt Busch faction did everything perfectly to put themselves in position for the win. And that day two Tonys were on the top of the world.

First, Tony Stewart, his Stewart-Haas Racing driver had finally done it, and then Tony Gibson. The Daytona Beach native was now a Daytona 500-winning crew chief. And if you recall, Gibson has previously been part of the Daytona 500 winning teams of Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. But this was his first time as the one leading Kurt Busch’s team. And obviously, it was more special.

Walking down memory lane, in a recent interview on the Dale Jr. Download, Gibson said, “My entire life to be in that position to win that race. That’s it. That’s what you dream about. All the struggles you go through to get that done with my mom my dad. All my friends at your home track. And you know well as anybody to win that race is extremely hard. Everything has to go perfect. After 30+ years. I finally got it done. I looked at Rodney Childers and I said, I did it. Like I did it, man.”

This was probably the happiest day of Gibson’s life. The self-proclaimed ‘old man’ of NASCAR jumped so much that day that Kurt Busch’s team owner was worried that he’d have to call the paramedics. Tony Stewart, describing the moment, had said, “He (Gibson) was comatose. He doesn’t move. He put his head back. Did he pass out? I had to shake him a bit. He just sat there the whole last lap and when I saw the door open, I started jumping because I knew what was coming. He just never flinched until it was over. He just laid his head back like he was getting a suntan.”

And Tony Gibson dedicated this one to his parents. They made a lot of sacrifices to make sure Gibson and his siblings had a comfortable life. “This is where I grew up. I was born in Halifax Hospital across the street. My mom retired from here. My dad raced here all his life. To come here and do this is amazing. I had two other brothers who raced. Dad had to work night and day and everything he had to make sure we could race and have fun. So my mom and dad are the ones I thought about the very first thing (after Sunday’s win),” Gibson had said post the race. And folks, this was also the first and last Daytona 500 win for both Gibson and Kurt Busch!

For Kurt Busch, after the whole Pocono concussion fiasco happened in 2022, it’s unlikely that we’ll see him in a Cup car again. But never say never, as recently he made a comeback to racing, something which seemed impossible after his horrific crash.

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Kurt Busch is back!

Kurt Busch crashed in the 2022 qualifying session for the tricky triangle. The impact affected his vestibular movements the most, which is basically what you need for balance, to walk, and everything else for your lives to be smooth. And after a long time in rehab, Busch finally recovered! Also, after getting the doctor’s approval, it was hardly a guess what would be the first thing he’d do. He went to the Race of Champions, to compete against veterans and some of the best drivers in motorsports history. Busch was there representing Team USA. This is the same event where he finished runners-up in 2017!

And naturally, Kurt Busch was pumped to be back. “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.” Well, Busch is physically fit to race now. But for the form to return, it would still take some time. The NASCAR veteran got knocked out in the first round of the competition, and Team Germany, the same team that defeated the USA in 2017, went on to win again. WRC legend, Sebastien Loeb, became the champion of the champions and the winningest driver of the competition. Maybe Busch would get him next time.

Anyway, even after the crash, Kurt Busch stayed connected with NASCAR. He served as a mentor to the young 23XI Racing team. Which was an obvious choice as it was with them, that he crashed in 2022. And Busch has done a good job mentoring. In only its fourth year (2024), 23XIRacing won the regular season championship and also made a place in the Championship 4 with Tyler Reddick. Maybe sometime in the future, even Kurt Busch can take the wheel of a 23XI car. Not as a full-time driver, but maybe as a one-off appearance. It would be great to see the veteran compete against some of his old competitors. The Busch brothers’ rivalry might ignite, maybe the 2026 Daytona 500 could be a possibility!

What do you think? Should Kurt Busch make a comeback to NASCAR? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.