On Saturday at Daytona, Kurt Busch bid farewell to Cup Series racing as he announced his retirement in an emotional moment for him and those close to him. Kurt, 45, is the older brother of Kyle Busch, one of the most experienced drivers on the NASCAR Cup Series grid today.

The 2004 Cup Series champion stated that he had not fully recovered from the effects of a concussion that he suffered last year and that his body was unable to keep up with the high-intensity racing that characterizes the NASCAR Cup Series.

Over the years, Kurt has earned the love and respect of fans, experts, and fellow drivers. On a recent episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, NASCAR insider Brett Griffin recalled the initial years of Kurt’s run in the Cup Series and how he had taken a path not many had tread on to get into the Cup Series.

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Kurt Busch’s road to the Cup Series was different from the rest

Usually, what happens in the NASCAR system is that a driver first races in the Truck Series before being promoted to the Xfinity Series and eventually the Cup Series if they are good enough. But this former Cup Series champion was promoted directly from the Truck Series to the Cup Series. While many at the time were baffled by the move, Kurt silenced his doubters in his very first season with the big boys.

He made his debut in 2000, driving for Jack Roush at Dover. It didn’t take him long to earn his first victory when he shocked the world and won at Bristol in just two years’ time.

Brett Griffin was one of the people who remembered what it was like over two decades ago when Kurt made his mark, and he shared the story on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.

“He came out of Trucks, the killer bees with Roush Racing, and he was one of the few guys that came from Trucks and went straight to Cup and immediately started hauling a**. I mean when he got in that #97 Sharpie car, man it was no time, boom, he won Bristol. I’ll never forget he won Bristol that night,” the NASCAR expert said with a hint of pride in his tone.

Since then, Kurt never looked back as he proceeded to take the Cup Series by storm. Only four years after his debut, Kurt won the Cup Series in 2004 and stamped his imprint on the division. His two-decade-plus career in the Cup saw him rack up 34 race wins and one championship. He was always one to take full advantage of the opportunities he was presented, something Brett Griffin was praiseful of.

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“It’s cool to see a guy with that much talent get opportunity, take advantage of it and win everywhere he went,” he added.

While Kurt is 45 years old, which is quite a lot for an athlete, one can’t help but imagine that he could have given at least a couple more years to the sport. Alas, his health issues prevented him from elongating his career as he bid an emotional farewell at Daytona.

Forced into retirement, Kurt Busch looks forward to the future

“My body is just having a battle with Father Time,” Busch said. “I’ve had arthritis ever since I can remember. My gout has flared up where I can barely walk in some days. Just pushing to get through physical therapy and continuing to work out.”

In the recent past, Busch is not the only driver who has been forced to retire due to health issues. The likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon were also forced into quitting the Cup Series as their bodies were just not able to keep up.

But Kurt isn’t one to dwell on the negatives for long. The 2004 champion is looking forward to life after retirement. “It’s time for a new journey, and I’m excited to get started,” he added at Daytona.

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A risk-taker, a champion, and one of the most talented drivers to have raced in NASCAR in recent history. Kurt Busch truly has a Hall of Fame career, and he will go down as one of the most skillful drivers of our generation.