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Kurt Busch recently took to his official Instagram account to share a heartfelt note, where he thanked the brave firefighters after their valiant efforts in the Southern California fire. The former NASCAR driver saluted the "risk takers" who came out to help civilians amid the devastating wildfire that ravaged Los Angeles.
Many renowned names from the NASCAR fraternity shared their condolences and posted about solidarity for the Southern California wildfire victims, and Kurt Busch was no different. The former 23XI Racing driver took to his official Instagram account to share a story where he penned a heartfelt salute.
"My thoughts are with everyone impacted by the dangerous fires in Southern California, especially my friends, my racing fans, and loved ones who are enduring unimaginable challenges," Busch wrote. "A heartfelt thank you to the brave firefighters and first responders who are risking their lives everyday."
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Here's a screenshot of Kurt Busch's Instagram story:
Since Wednesday, the Los Angeles wildfire has ravaged more than 52 square miles or 36,000 acres of area in and around Southern California. It destroyed everything that came its way — houses, schools, stores, restaurants, churches, and other notable landmarks.
Even though the government entities did not share the estimates of damages, according to sources, the damage related to properties could be around $150 billion. As of Sunday, January 12, 11 people have died from the fire.
More than 450,000 people stayed without electricity in the last four days, and around 140,000 were evacuated from the impacted areas — The Palisades Fire West of Los Angeles, the Eaton Fire in the north of Pasadena, and the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills.
When Kurt Busch expressed optimism about NASCAR return
For the first time since retiring from full-time racing in NASCAR, Kurt Busch shared that he is optimistic about his return. The former 23XI Racing called off his racing career after he suffered a crash during the 2022 M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 qualifying at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2022.
The crash led to a head injury, which resulted in concussion-like symptoms. Busch wasn't allowed to compete for the rest of the season and had to withdraw from playoffs. In the end, he came out on October 15, 2022, to announce his retirement from full-time racing.
Now, almost two and a half years later, Kurt Busch is optimistic about a NASCAR return. Here's what he had to say about it in December 2024 to Racer.com (via Newsweek):
"I’m feeling much, much better since the summer wreck in 2022 and all of the different physical therapy, different neurologist visits. It was taxing for a while. Basically every other day it was a doctor visit somewhere and going to get hearing checked, eyes checked, balance checked."
"The vestibular movements were what was greatly affected. I still feel the lingering effects but it has calmed down, and it has been through all the physical therapy and all the great doctors who have helped me," he added.
Kurt Busch participated in 776 Cup Series races in over 24 years, where he claimed 34 wins, 28 pole positions, and 339 top-10s. He last raced in the Cup Series at the 2022 Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire.
