Kurt Busch Makes Painful Pocono Admission During Emotional Return to Tricky Triangle originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
For years, Kurt Busch viewed Pocono Raceway fondly. He won there three times in 2005, 2007 and 2016. Good memories.
Then July 23, 2022 happened.
The 23XI Racing pilot got sideways during his qualifying run at The Tricky Triangle and backed the No. 45 car into the wall. The incident didn’t appear to be anything extraordinary.
However, as everyone later found out, the back end of the then-Next Gen car was too stiff and the drivers absorbed much of the energy during impact. Busch suffered a concussion.
Initially, he was supposed to be out for only a few races. Then, his return kept getting delayed. Ultimately, he didn’t return for the rest of the 2022 season and never raced again in NASCAR.
On Saturday, Busch appeared at Pocono during the pre-race show on Prime and was congratulated on his recent nomination into the Hall of Fame when he made a surprisingly candid admission about his trip to Pennsylvania.
It was an emotional “cleansing” return to @PoconoRaceway for @KurtBusch on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/AiWwRpSFNk
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) June 21, 2025
”It’s been fun just taking it all in and telling stories and reminiscing about some of those old races and talking about like some of the deep stuff, too,” Busch said. “You know, it’s not always peaches and cream and sunshine and rainbows, but man, it’s just an honor to go in on first ballot and to take it all in.
“I haven’t been back to Pocono since my accident. So this, it’s like a cleansing, purging weekend as well.”
Busch’s “cleansing weekend” will continue on Sunday when he watches his brother and former 23XI racing teammates compete on the 2.5-mile track. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET on Prime.
Related: Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott Make List No Cup Series Driver Wants to Be On
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
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