Kyle Busch’s Indy 500 Hopes Receive Massive Boost After Reshuffle in McLaren Racing

Published 09/23/2022, 6:54 AM EDT

With the 2022 IndyCar season wrapped up, the silly season has already begun for the open-wheel series. It is interesting to note that this is not just limited to drivers, but teams as well. Recently, McLaren Racing announced that they have recruited Brian Barnhart, on the back of the team president’s sudden departure. Fascinatingly, the changes could open a door for NASCAR driver Kyle Busch.

Prior to his McLaren recruitment, Barnhart was the strategist for Alexander Rossi, then at Andretti Autosport. Now, Rossi has jumped ship to Arrow McLaren SP, which has expanded to three cars. It appears that Barnhardt has followed his former driver and will seemingly report to McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

According to Brown, he is still in the process of finalizing the team’s management structure. This is because of the desire to field a third full-time car. Furthermore, the organization is building a shop in Indianapolis, along the lines of the manufacturer’s F1 factory in England.

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Where does Kyle Busch fit into all of this?

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Apart from all of this, the team is seriously considering running a fourth entry for the Indianapolis 500. If rumors are to be believed, then the driver of that fourth car will be none other than NASCAR star Kyle Busch. Of course, in a sport like NASCAR or IndyCar, drivers need sponsors to grab a seat. Fortunately, that hiccup will likely take care of itself, because Menards is interested in backing Busch.

Earlier, Kyle Busch had finally answered the question about his future in the NASCAR Cup Series. At the end of the current season, he will end his 15-year relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. Instead, he is signing with Richard Childress Racing, and they are open to him competing in the Indy 500 in a Chevrolet-powered team.

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Written by:

Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.

Edited by:

Ankit Sharma