Michael Jordan’s impact in NASCAR has never been felt stronger. Over the past two months, the six-time NBA legend managed to win a near-impossible legal win in the NASCAR lawsuit, though being a settlement on paper. But Jordan’s influence on the sport has never been limited to legal battles alone.
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Away from the courtroom drama, his presence has had some weight in a quieter and more personal way for some, especially those who’re at crossroads. As Kurt Busch reflects on his journey following his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, one such moment has come to light, revealing how Jordan’s belief and timing played a crucial role during a defining phase of the veteran driver’s Cup Series run.
Jordan saw himself in Kurt Busch
“Kurt Busch reveals in his @NASCARHall speech that he was ready to retire after 2021, but phone calls from @dennyhamlin and Michael Jordan convinced him to give a @23XIRacing expansion team a try to establish the No. 45 team,” journalist Peter Stratta wrote on X.
Back in 2021, when Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s Cup Series team was in its nascent stage, Kurt Busch got an offer. By that time, Busch had bagged 33 Cup wins and one Cup championship (2004). So he was a natural choice for any team willing to boost its chances. However, Michael Jordan’s method of convincing him struck a chord close to Busch’s heart.
Kurt Busch reveals in his @NASCARHall speech that he was ready to retire after 2021, but phone calls from @dennyhamlin and Michael Jordan convinced him to give a @23XIRacing expansion team a try to establish the No. 45 team. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/1xoJK0cgAR
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) January 24, 2026
“I honestly had my mind made up in 2021 that I was complete, that I was fulfilled,” Kurt Busch said. “When I met Michael Jordan for the first time, he asked me, ‘Do you know why I want to hire you to start the second car for 23XI?’ I said, ‘No, sir, why?’ He said, ‘You race the same way that I play the game in basketball. You race from your heart.’
“That’s how I did. That went deep into my soul, and filled my desire to push again, to re-energize and develop the No. 45 car at 23XI. Thank you, Denny, Curtis, Steve, Billy Scott, and crew for that final dance,” Kurt Busch continued.
As fate would have it, Kurt Busch made 20 starts for 23XI Racing and bagged a win for the team at Kansas. He finished five races in the top five at Phoenix, Atlanta, Gateway, and Nashville Superspeedway during the 2022 season. However, at Pocono, he incurred a concussion after a qualifying crash and missed the remainder of the year. That also marked the end of his racing in NASCAR.
Looking back at his final years in the sport, Kurt Busch’s gratitude towards Michael Jordan and Co. is heartfelt indeed. And while he looks back at the good parts, he also recollects the not-so-good parts as well.
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A confident look at past troubles
Just as Kurt Busch’s racing finesse was of a golden standard, so was his notorious reputation. His departure from Roush Racing, the first team that hosted Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series, was not a smooth one.
He was suspended for the final two races of the 2005 season by the team after he was detained by police near the Phoenix track on suspicion of drunken driving. Then his stint with Penske Racing ended in 2011 after an aggressive exchange with the media.
Reflecting on that troublesome past, Kurt Busch displayed wisdom.
“There is definitely the knowledge and wisdom thing that youth doesn’t have,” he said on Thursday. “And so if I could, I would have told my younger self to have more patience and to not get so animated or so excited when things went wrong. It was like I was on too high of highs and too low of lows.”
Busch went on to say, “If I could have just mellowed it out a little, I think, that would have made for an easier path for me, so to speak.”
Now, Kurt Busch’s memories in the sport are all part of a golden legacy. Here is to remembering the best of his achievements!
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