"I take it to Daytona" - When Kurt Busch shared the story behind his autographed Michael Jordan rookie card

During an episode of the Stacking Pennies Podcast in 2023, Kurt Busch shared how he got an autographed Michael Jordan rookie card. The acquisition came after Busch made a deal with Jordan, in which the driver would get his rookie card signed if he won a race.

Busch is a former NASCAR Cup Series driver who last drove for 23XI Racing, a team co-owned by six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. He only spent one season with the team following a career-ending accident at Pocono Raceway in 2022.

Speaking with Stacking Pennies Podcast host Corey LaJoie, Busch said the idea of asking Michael Jordan for an autograph came at the signing of his 23XI Racing contract. When he saw Jordan’s signature on the Daytona 500 entry blank, the driver knew he had to have a signed rookie card.

“I go to sign it on the driver line and I look at the owner line… I would have thought it would have been a team president, Denny’s name, it’s Michael Jordan’s signature across the owner line… and I went ding… light bulb went off in my head… like I can get an MJ rookie card and I’ll come up with a plan to get him to sign it,” Busch said. [0:36]

The plan was to make a deal with his 23XI Racing boss. If Kurt Burt wins a race in the No. 45 Toyota Camry, Michael Jordan would give back the rookie year card Busch got from his Las Vegas-based card collector.

But if he doesn’t, the Chicago Bulls star would keep the card.

“I take it to Daytona. Here’s my game plan, and I asked Denny, team owner, I go, ‘Hey, I have this plan, have MJ sign this card, I want to give it to him because his birthday was the Daytona 500 weekend, give it to him as a birthday gift… of course he’s not going to take it, right? But have him sign it and then when we win together, I get it back,” Busch shared. [1:58]

The first attempt at the Daytona 500 witnessed Kurt Busch coming short with a P19 finish. The former 23XI Racing driver had good and bad races before finally winning the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway ahead of Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch.

As part of the deal, the 2004 NASCAR champion got his MJ rookie card back with a rare signature from the NBA legend.

---

Kurt Busch recently took his girlfriend Lyda Moore to NFL game

Aside from basketball, Kurt Busch appears to be an American football fan. He took his girlfriend Lyda Moore to see the Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers match rooting for the former NFL team a few days ago.

The former NASCAR driver shared the moment on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote:

“Took Lyda to Da Bears Game.”

Busch thanked the McCasky family, owner of the Chicago Bears, before supporting the team.

“Thanks to the McCasky Family […] Bear down!”

Unfortunately for Busch, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 20-19 following a blocked field goal attempt that sealed the game. The home game loss extended the Bears’ cold streak against the Packers, with the last win coming in December 2018.

While Kurt Busch hasn’t raced in NASCAR since 2022, the driver hinted at his return to racing following pleading guilty to his arrest for driving under the influence earlier this month.