Published 01/23/2023, 3:55 AM EST
If one were to ask Kurt Busch one race that he would want to forget, the answer would probably be Pocono in 2022. Unfortunately, it’s a race that will continue to haunt the (former?) 23XI Racing driver for his lifetime.
The Next Gen car was a mystery for all drivers at the beginning of the year. But it was something they had to deal with. Despite all the calls around safety (or lack, thereof), drivers had to use the Next Gen car in all races of the Cup Series.
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Concerns were consistently raised by drivers. Both Kevin Harvick and Christopher Bell had raised concerns about the car prior to Busch’s Pocono incident. Harvick’s statements were particularly hard-hitting, as reported by NBCSports. “I don’t think they understand the extent of it and actually the extent of how bad it is when you hit stuff.”
“… I don’t think anybody really understands, except for the drivers that have crashed into something, the violence that comes in the car. It doesn’t seem to be a high enough priority to me.”
Bell, meanwhile, had complained, of a headache after his crash at the All-Star Race. But the real crisis arrived after Busch crashed at Pocono during qualifying. Seemingly a regulation crash, he was initially sidelined for a couple of races. But as time has told us, he continues to remain sidelined and is still not cleared for racing.
That one race, that one crash ended up changing Busch’s life definitively. Hopefully, the future has something better in line for the legendary driver.
Latest achievement of Kurt Busch is quite ironical
Busch has been known for donating and working a lot in social causes. For these initiatives, he has been awarded the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award multiple times. In 2022, he was given the award for the fourth time.
Fans however noted the irony of the whole situation.
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It might seem ironic to fans, but it’s not a situation Busch or anyone in the 23XI team really relishes. Salute to him for his continuous work for society. Hope he continues doing it