Car
Exclusive: NASCAR veteran Kurt Busch on the Le Mans Classic, and his return to racing
by Samarth Kanal
6min read
Kurt Busch took 22 attempts to win his home NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. At the 2026 Le Mans Classic, sponsored by Aramco, he made a sensational return to that race-winning car.
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Busch ran 776 NASCAR Cup Series races over his 23-year career, winning the 2004 title, reaching the Hall of Fame, taking 339 top-10 finishes and 34 wins.
The NASCAR veteran also finished sixth in his Indianapolis 500 debut in 2014 before flying to North Carolina to compete in the NASCAR race on the same day.
In 2026, Busch jumped back into the #1 Chevrolet Camaro for a very different challenge, to take on a field of 35 other drivers in historic stock car machinery. At the Le Mans Classic on July 2-5 2026, he was one of the headline names.
A 1997 Ford Thunderbird once driven by Mark Martin in the NASCAR Cup Series was among the stock car grid at the 2026 Le Mans Classic. Main image and this photograph courtesy of DDPI/Peter Auto
Late to the party
The field of HSR NASCAR Classic cars at Le Mans Classic included a 1992 Chevrolet Lumina once driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr, a 2012 Dodge Charger that was driven by Brad Keselowski on his way to that year’s title, and the car that was driven by the villain (Jean Girard) played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the 2006 comedy film, Talladega Nights.
“This is crazy,” Busch tells Raceteq. “I’m probably the last entry [at the Le Mans Classic].”
He explains that, during a tyre test at North Carolina, he was asked about Le Mans Classic.
He then contacted NASCAR CEO Jim France and IMSA/HSR President John Noonan.
“You know, the whole gang in NASCAR and IMSA. Everyone knows each other.”
“I didn't know anything [about Le Mans Classic] until February. And I've been doing a tonne of research since.”
Busch walking towards his Chevrolet Camaro as the NASCAR stock cars line up at Le Mans. Image courtesy of DDPI/Peter Auto
A ‘bucket-list’ moment in a historic car
Busch stands looking almost wistfully at his Chevrolet, the car that took him to victory in Las Vegas with Chip Ganassi Racing.
This car was built to take on ovals, so the team had to put on new suspension, brakes, and a drivetrain to make it go, as Busch says, “left and right”. That team in question is run by NASCAR veteran Joe Nemechek, and a cohort of more than 20 mechanics at Le Mans.
This Le Mans Classic appearance isn’t Busch’s first at Le Mans, but he relishes the experience.
“I feel like a kid in a candy store, to be able to do this,” says Busch.
“I was here seven years ago with [Chip] Ganassi when he had the Ford GT programme. And things have changed in my life since. And, if I was done with full-time NASCAR, I was looking at different endurance races around the world - to do different bucket-list races.
“Because, as a NASCAR guy, we're in the car for three hours. And we love it. We love doing long runs. Endurance racing in a GT class, I thought, was where I'd end up post-NASCAR.”
He says 2026 was a “great opportunity” to tick off an item on his bucket list, with the stock cars featuring a sticker to commemorate 250 years since the United States was founded.
Kyle Busch won his home race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2020 - and drove the very same Chevrolet at the 2026 Le Mans Classic. Image courtesy of NASCAR/Getty Images
NASCAR, through and through
“This is my baby,” he says as he holds the massive spoiler on the back of his Chevrolet. “I'll take care of my baby. We have three races. And it’s the fun of being here, the nostalgia, and the respect of being able to drive on the full circuit here in Le Mans.”
Contrary to the usual set-up at Le Mans, where cars run smaller wings for less drag over the long straights, Busch’s Chevrolet sports that huge spoiler. He explains that the tyres “cannot get any softer” - they’re grip-limited here - so extra downforce is key at this circuit.
“Plus, the drag will help not over-rev the engine. Hopefully, we're not just sitting there pinned on 9,000 RPM,” he adds.
Busch adds that he conducted numerous hours in a simulator with fellow racer Ryan Gimmel, who competes in the ARCA stock car series stateside.
“It's cool to see a kid like him as a mechanic, but also as a racer. And so, him and I jumped on the sim together and prepared as best we can.”
“I've done a rally race. I've done a drag race. Anytime I ventured away from a NASCAR paddock or our garage, it just kept telling me my DNA… I'm a NASCAR guy.
“But I love travel. I've been travelling since I got my passport when I was 21. And I've been to the Nurburgring, Le Mans, and Monaco. It’s fun - and I have a notoriety as a NASCAR Hall of Famer. People are like: Here’s this pass, here’s this red carpet. So I’m very thankful to everyone for helping me out.”
Kurt Busch (L) with his brother Kyle Busch at Daytona, United States, in 2012
From grief to green flag
Busch’s Le Mans Classic entry carries an emotional weight, however.
This July 2026 appearance is one of the first from Kurt Busch after the passing of his brother, two time NASCAR Cup Series winner Kyle Busch, in May.
“I appreciate you asking - it still is pretty tough,” he says. “Yeah, I’m doing OK. Taking care of mom. Taking care of dad. Really, it's the second public appearance since my brother's passing.
“It's tough. You smell the gas and the exhaust… Of course, we're going to be burning rubber here soon. That's what we've done our whole life.
“So it'll be tough at first, and then I've got to kick it into race mode. Once the green flag drops, we're all going to be on the gas pretty hard.”
