Kurt Busch dips toe into first fishing tournament

2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch has entered his first-ever fishing tournament. The former driver joined a team guided by Two Conchs Charters in the Florida Keys and shared the experience this week on social media. While he didn’t specifically name the event he took part in, it is very likely that it was the Tom Thumb Bull and Cow Dolphin Offshore Tournament in Marathon, Florida.

The tournament is backed by Tom Thumb Food Stores, which Busch mentioned in his post on X. Kurt Busch posted several photos showing him and his group with a large haul of mahi-mahi. One image shows Busch proudly holding a big catch, while others display the group’s full haul at a weigh-in area in the docks at Two Conchs Charters.

He thanked Monster Energy and Tom Thumb for their support and said,

"1st time jumping into a fishing tournament. Thanks to @twoconchs for excellent guidance professionalism. @monsterenergy was on board, and local Florida Keys convenience stores @mytomthumbstore made it a success. Hit them up next time in South Florida."

Two Conchs Charters is a well-known sportfishing outfit based in Marathon, Florida, run by Captain Jack Carlson and his sons. The family also stars in the fishing TV show Two Conchs Sportfishing TV. They operate more than 20 charter boats across Florida and North Carolina.

However, this wasn’t Kurt Busch’s first time out on the water with Two Conchs. Last year, he went on a fishing trip with them and shared photos on Instagram. In that post, he said a couple from Naples had donated money to charities, and in return, he planned to take them to the 2025 Daytona 500.

"Had an epic fishing expedition with @twoconchs down in the Florida Keys. A very nice couple from Naples donated a large sum of money to different charities across the region, and now I will be paying it back by taking them to the 2025 Daytona 500!" Busch wrote.

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Kurt Busch could join the class of 2026 Hall of Fame

Kurt Busch was named as one of the 15 finalists for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026. NASCAR announced the full list this week, with Busch appearing on the Modern Era ballot for the first time. He joins Randy Lajoie as a new addition on that side of the ballot, while former crew chief Jake Elder was added to the Pioneer ballot.

Kurt Busch is the only Cup Series champion on this year’s ballot. He won the championship in 2004 and collected 34 career Cup Series wins before stepping away from full-time racing. He is tied with Martin Truex Jr. for 26th on NASCAR’s all-time winners list. After hearing about his nomination, Busch thanked his supporters with a message posted to X. He wrote:

"I am very grateful to be nominated for NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. It’s an honor to be recognized at this top level. Thank you to NASCAR, my race teams, my family, and to the race fans."

The final vote will take place on May 20 in Charlotte, where the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel will meet. Fans also get a chance to vote online at NASCAR’s official Hall of Fame page. The panel will choose two names from the Modern Era ballot and one from the Pioneer ballot. The top vote-getters in each category will be named to the 2026 Hall of Fame class.