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Kurt Busch had previously won with Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet, and in 2022 he found a new team to work with.
He raced for Toyota and was part of the 23XI Racing team that Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin co-owned. He battled against Kyle Larson and his brother Kyle Busch enroute to the checkered flag in Kansas, securing his 34th and maybe final Cup victory.
A sacred number in the sport, the Petty family had not worn the No. 45 since the conclusion of the 2008 season as a memorial to Adam Petty. So when Denny Hamlin asked Kyle Petty if the No.45 can be run again, Petty couldn't give him an answer.
When he switched to the Cup, Richard Petty's grandson Adam Petty raced the No. 45 and made his lone Cup start at Texas Motor Speedway in 2000. Six weeks later, on May 12, during practice at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Adam Petty was killed in a collision.
In the No. 45, Kurt Busch was battling Kyle Larson for the lead in the closing laps of Sunday's Cup race at Kansas Speedway, just three days after Petty's death anniversary.
As Kurt Busch retires from racing, he has penned a heartfelt message to Kyle Petty, thanking him for allowing Busch to run the No.45 on track again.
He wrote on X,
Last year, just three days after the anniversary of Adam Petty’s death, together we were able to bring the 45 to victory lane. I am honored that my final win as a full time competitor in the cup series was getting that 45 back to victory lane. It has felt like a spiritual connection since day 1. Thank you again @kylepetty for giving your blessing to have me represent the 45. It continues to feel special as I watched it win again this weekend in Kansas. It just feels right.
Over 20 years at the pinnacle of the sport make up Kurt Busch's extensive career. Although he achieved on-track accomplishments deserving of the Hall of Fame, a collision there left him with concussion-like symptoms and prevented him from driving for the rest of the year.
Kurt Busch retires from racing while recovering from his 2022 concussion
Busch missed the rest of the season after suffering a concussion in qualifying for a Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in July 2022.
Busch said he and his doctors agreed there are "too many obstacles" for him to surmount in his recuperation to achieve 100 percent and return to racing. He kept the option of running a part-time schedule open this season, but he hasn't taken part in any races.
Amidst his recovery, Busch decided he would be retiring from the sport altogether.
