NASCAR Cup champion Kurt Busch comes out of retirement for Race of Champions

Busch will make his first competition appearance since 2022 representing Team USA at the 2025 Race of Champions, which took a sabbatical in 2024

The 2004 NASCAR Cup champion Kurt Busch will represent Team USA in the 2025 Race of Champions, making a return to competition after announcing his retirement in August 2023.

Busch will make his third RoC appearance, partnering prominent stunt performer Travis Pastrana at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on 7-8 March.

This comes after receiving medical clearance as Busch suffered a concussion during a crash in qualifying at Pocono Raceway in July 2022.

After sitting out the remainder of that season and the start of the 2023 campaign, the now 46-year-old elected to call time on his NASCAR career, stating that there were "too many obstacles for me to overcome”.

But Busch will make a one-off appearance at the RoC, his first appearance in the invitational event since 2017 when he and younger brother Kyle finished second to Team Germany in the Nations’ Cup.

“Race car drivers always push the limits to be the best and drive to win,” said Busch.

“That is what I have strived for my whole career and to receive another invite from Race of Champions is a chance to go up against the best of the best from around the world.

“What an honour. Thank you RoC. Go Team USA.”

The RoC is a two-day event that pitches the top drivers from various motorsport disciplines in head-to-head nation versus nation and individual battles, with 2025 being the first time it has visited the southern hemisphere.

“There is no one that I’ve seen at past Race of Champions from America that’s been able to jump in the cars and perform like Kurt Busch,” said Pastrana, who is a four-time Rally America champion and set for his first RoC appearance since Dusseldorf in 2011.

“I’ve talked to Kurt a few times over the past months and pleaded with him to come out of retirement since his crash in NASCAR.

“I would have loved to see another ultra talented driver like Kyle Larson come to Race of Champions as well, but he has a NASCAR race the same weekend.

“I said if I’m going all the way to Australia then it has to be with someone that can help me win it all for Team USA.”

Drivers will battle on a purpose-built 1km asphalt track around Accor Stadium, with 13 competitors so far announced.

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel will compete for Germany alongside Mick Schumacher, with fellow F1 talent Valtteri Bottas representing Finland.

The defending Nations’ Cup champions Petter and Oliver Solberg will return for Norway, while another rally legend in nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb will make an appearance, the four-time RoC winner competing for France.

Other drivers to be announced include the seven-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson, his fellow Extreme E champion Molly Taylor and two-time Dakar winner Toby Price, with Supercar champions Will Brown and Jamie Whincup (Brown's current team principal) also competing for hosts Australia.

In this article
Ed Hardy
NASCAR
General
Kurt Busch
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics