NASCAR: Kurt Busch announces his decision for next two races
By Asher Fair
Kurt Busch is out for the remainder of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, though his goal is still to return for the playoffs.
Ty Gibbs has replaced Kurt Busch behind the wheel of the #45 Toyota at 23XI Racing for each of the last four NASCAR Cup Series races following Busch’s qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway, which left him with concussion-like symptoms.
Now Gibbs is set to get at least two more Cup starts in place of Busch, as the 44-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native announced that he will miss this Sunday afternoon’s race at Watkins Glen International as well as the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway next Saturday night.
He announced the news on social media Thursday evening, noting that he does intend to return for the playoffs.
— Kurt Busch (@KurtBusch) August 18, 2022
NASCAR has granted Busch a playoff waiver, meaning that his four (soon to be six) missed starts will not count against his playoff eligibility.
With that being said, despite winning at Kansas Speedway back in mid-May, Busch isn’t guaranteed to be in the playoffs, even with the playoff waiver.
He still needs to be in the top 16 in the playoff picture when the regular season ends.
There have been 15 winners so far this season, meaning that there is still a possibility that there will be 17 before the playoffs begin. If there are indeed 17 winners, that will mean there are more winners than playoff spots (16), in which case the lowest placed single-race winner in the point standings would miss the playoffs.
Busch is currently the lowest placed of the eight single-race winners, sitting in 21st place in the point standings. Based on the current gaps, and with the other seven single-race winners guaranteed to finish ahead of him, it is likely that he will finish the regular season somewhere between 22nd and 24th.
If two new winners emerge over the next two weekends and both finish ahead of Busch in the standings, he will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Next. Top 25 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark
Sunday’s race, the Go Bowling at The Glen, is set to be broadcast live from Watkins Glen International on USA Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. The regular season-ending Coke Zero Sugar 400 is set to be broadcast live from Daytona International Speedway on NBC beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 27. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now!