NASCAR: Kyle Busch confirms virtual IndyCar debut

By Asher Fair | Apr 15, 2020

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, NASCAR (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is set to compete in this Saturday afternoon’s IndyCar iRacing Challenge race at virtual Twin Ring Motegi.

With the coronavirus pandemic having brought the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season to a halt, the drivers have been competing in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series each week at the virtual versions of the venues which would have hosted the actual races. NASCAR and iRacing launched this virtual series in response to the pandemic.

Several NASCAR drivers have even hopped over to the IndyCar side to compete in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge as well, which was introduced by IndyCar and iRacing for the same reason.

Now two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is also set to shift gears for the first time. He is set to make his IndyCar “debut” in this Saturday afternoon’s race at the “Random Draw” track of Twin Ring Motegi.

He is set to drive the #51 car with sponsorship from Rowdy Energy, the drink industry business based out of Del Mar, California which he founded.

https://twitter.com/KyleBusch/status/1250540674052743168

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Among the other Cup Series drivers who have made their IndyCar “debuts” in IndyCar iRacing Challenge races in recent weeks are seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who competed in the first two races at virtual Watkins Glen International and virtual Barber Motorsports Park, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who competed in this past Saturday afternoon’s race at virtual Michigan International Speedway.

Busch is one of several drivers who had been discussed as potentially being the next driver from the NASCAR side to take on the challenge of driving an open-wheel car, albeit virtually.

The 34-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native has also expressed interest in competing in IndyCar in real life, although his focus has been centered around the Indianapolis 500.

He told Beyond the Flag last month that he would still like to compete in the Indy 500 one day and thus do the “Memorial Day Double”, which was last done by his brother Kurt in 2014, but that he didn’t have anything in the works for this year.

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Tune in to NBC Sports Network at 2:30 p.m. ET this Saturday, April 18 for the live broadcast of the IndyCar iRacing Challenge race from virtual Twin Ring Motegi to see Kyle Busch make his IndyCar “debut” against the stars of America’s premier open-wheel racing series.