Kurt Busch’s openness about his head injury sets a strong, needed example for NASCAR drivers
Kurt Busch won’t race again this weekend, and his continued absence from NASCAR events he surely dreads missing is proof of seismic, important change: Drivers are starting to understand the importance of taking care of their brains.
More and more, they seem to be prioritizing their health and safety, as the sport sheds the misconception that injuries equate to weakness and recognizes the serious implications that come with concussions and head injuries.
There's no doubt Busch would do anything to be behind the wheel of his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota this weekend at Richmond Raceway. The same was likely true for the last three races he's missed at Pocono Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway.
But Busch is set to miss his fourth consecutive NASCAR race, and the reason behind it, though obviously unfortunate, should be applauded.
During a qualifying round at Pocono in late July, Busch spun and crashed hard, smacking the wall and wrecking his car. Though he was able to exit the car on his own, he was not cleared to compete after multiple evaluations in the infield care center. Busch said he was experiencing "concussion-like symptoms" after the wreck and has been unable to return to the track since.
In Busch's latest statement on Twitter about missing his fourth straight race, he said:
Earnhardt explained he'd be shaken up or possibly concussed after a bad wreck Sunday, feel better by Thursday and get back behind the wheel the following weekend, opening himself up to further injuries. He didn't want to miss a race or alter people's perceptions of him, so he kept going, sometimes when he shouldn't have.
Of course, some NASCAR drivers have been in Busch's position in the past and missed races because of head injuries. Back in 1997, Ricky Craven suffered a concussion during a wreck and missed a handful of races as his symptoms worsened.
During Earnhardt's full-time NASCAR career, he was sidelined more than once with concussion-related symptoms — most recently when he missed the second half of 2016 before returning in 2017 and then retiring at the end of season. Tragically, he estimates he's had between 20 and 25 concussions throughout his career, but he's spun his experiences into awareness advocacy that's almost certainly having an impact on the NASCAR garage.
So while this is not a new topic in the sometimes-violent sport, it certainly seems like head injuries are being taken far more seriously now by both NASCAR and its athletes. In 2017, NASCAR expanded its concussion protocol, emphasizing awareness for symptoms of head injuries.
NASCAR's medical team provides neurological support and evaluations for the other physicians in the infield care centers, where drivers must go to be cleared after serious on-track incidents. If a driver isn't cleared, they're further evaluated, like in Busch's case. And if they ultimately aren't cleared by neuro specialists at the track, like Busch, the driver then must get medical clearance to return to competitions from an approved, board-certified neurologist, neurosurgeon or neuropsychologist with at least five years of experience treating sports-related injuries.
Unfortunately for Busch, that hasn't happened yet, but he's doing everything in his power to ensure a safe return to competition. The 2004 NASCAR Cup champ been granted a medical waiver to keep him eligible for the 10-race playoffs this fall — though whether or not he'll make it could depend on the number of regular-season winners, in addition to his health.
Of course, it's never a positive when an athlete suffers a head injury, and surely everyone, including his competitors, hopes he recovers quickly.
But instead of fighting or concealing it, Busch has been transparent about his situation, and hopefully that inspires other NASCAR drivers, should they find themselves in a similarly unfortunate position, to follow his example, choosing to value their brains over racing.
List
Here's the unusual NASCAR playoffs scenario if more than 16 drivers qualify