“First time I got to see him race”: Kurt Busch’s girlfriend Lyda pens heartwarming note amid former NASCAR champion’s Australia outing 

Former NASCAR driver Kurt Busch stepped back into the world of racing earlier this weekend, competing in the Race of Champions taking place in Sydney, Australia. His girlfriend, Lyda Moore, took to her social media earlier today to share an emotional message for her partner, also to mark the first time that she has been able to see Busch race in person.

Sharing a photograph of the driver at an event related to the race on her Instagram handle, Moore added the caption:

"I’m so proud of this guy for his fierce competitive spirit and kick ass attitude this weekend! It was the first time I got to see him race in person and was truly an honor to be there ❤️"

Lyda Moore and Kurt Busch have publicly been together since last year, making the RoC the first occasion for Moore to have seen the 2004 Cup Series champion back in the car.

This was also Busch's first time racing since he announced the end of his NASCAR career in August of 2023 after he was reeling from the effects of a crash he suffered at the Pocono Raceway in July 2022. Speaking about receiving the invite to race in the prestigious event, the driver said:

“Race car drivers always push the limits to be the best, and drive to win. That is what I have strived for my whole career, and to receive another invite from Race Of Champions is a chance to go up against the best of the best from around the world. What an honor!” [via Racer]

Kurt Busch teamed up with four-time Rally America champion Travis Pastrana for his entry into this year's RoC. The duo, however, did not win the event; that honor went to nine-time Rally World Champion Sebastien Loeb, who clinched his fifth Race of Champions title.

Kurt Busch discusses the possibility of returning to the Cup Series

Kurt Busch addresses the media after announcing his retirement before the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, August 26th, 2023 - Source: Imagn

After competing in the Race of Champions this weekend, Kurt Busch was asked about the chances of him returning to the Cup Series soon. While Busch has not guaranteed a return anytime soon, he has acknowledged that his participation in the event in Sydney was a step in the right direction as he heals from his career-ending crash in 2022.

“Yeah, this is the perfect step. I’m not going to go run a Cup car right now at 500 miles side-by-side with all the boys, right? And so it’s just the steps that it takes, and this is the perfect one. And so a ripple effect from this, positive or negative, will open up more doors,” he mentioned [via Motorsport].

While not in the car at the moment, Busch continues to be involved in NASCAR in a consulting role for his former team, 23XI Racing.