The doctors have come to the conclusion that it is best for me to “shut it down” for this season. Even though have made solid gains since I have been working with top specialists, and the team at Toyota Performance Center, I’m still not 100% and I’m still not cleared to compete.
As I continue to focus on my health and work towards being cleared, I will be stepping away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2023.
Not a surprise, but it feels like the end of an era for many NASCAR fans. Kurt was the last remaining Cup series driver to race against Dale Earnhardt Sr., and on a personal note, Kurt was one of the two drivers who participated in my first NASCAR race—the 2001 Brickyard 400—still competing in the Cup series.
His career had its highs and lows, going from his championship in 2004 to his dismissal from Team Penske in 2011, but it’s been a privilege to race fans to see him regain his composure and show during the twilight of his career that he is both a good man and a good race car driver.
Kurt mentioned in his press availability that he hopes to make some one-off appearances in NASCAR if his health permits, and as someone who became a diehard NASCAR fan in the early 2000s, I hope we get to see that for his sake and ours.
Michael Miller 