Kurt Busch to join NASCAR team for ‘Jumpman 23’

NASCAR’s worst-kept secret became official Friday with the announcement that Kurt Busch will drive a second car in 2022 for a team co-founded by NBA superstar Michael Jordan.

The 2004 Cup Series champion and 2017 Daytona 500 winner from Las Vegas will partner Bubba Wallace in the 23XI Racing team headed by Jordan and Cup Series regular Denny Hamlin.

Busch’s car number will be 45 — the number Jordan wore during his NBA comeback — with Busch’s longtime primary sponsor Monster Energy returning in that role. Wallace will return for a second season in the No. 23 Toyota Camry.

The addition of Busch to the team has been rumored since Chip Ganassi Racing, the team for which he currently drives, was sold in June to Trackhouse Racing — a team owned by former driver Justin Marks and the Grammy Award-winning rapper Armando Perez, better known as “Pitbull.”

Busch, who turned 43 earlier this month, recently raced to the 33rd victory of his Cup Series career to clinch a NASCAR playoff spot. He indirectly alluded to his anticipated role as mentor to the 27-year-old Wallace during a Las Vegas visit Tuesday promoting ticket sales for next month’s South Point 400 playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“I don’t have any children yet but I feel like there’s a couple kids that have been around me racing,” he said of providing guidance to current and past teammates Ross Chastain and Aric Almirola, and the potential for reprising that role for a young driver such as Wallace.

“It’s like Chastain do this. Aric Almirola was an experienced veteran when he came over to (Stewart-Haas Racing) and it was fun to teach him little things,” Busch said. “So the next stage for me, again, is to just give back to the sport that’s given me so very much. I’ve been privileged and blessed to be out here for 22 years now.”

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.