NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has warned that new-generation drivers may have to race beyond their forties, considering that the earnings of drivers have been down by nearly fifty percent.
The sport witnessed a big boom in the late 1990s and early 2000s, offering drivers big paychecks. However, Busch suggested that as the years went by, the earnings of drivers dropped significantly. As a result, if young drivers wanted to earn as much as veteran drivers earned throughout their careers, they would be forced to race for a much longer time.
At 40 years old and with two Cup Series championship titles, Busch is among the few drivers on the field to race into his forties with no signs of stopping. Denny Hamlin, who is 44, recently signed a two-year contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, knowing that it could be his last deal with the team.
Speaking to Frontstretch, Busch explained with an example how young drivers could be pushed to race longer. He said:
“I’m just making up a number – if we’ve made $50 million over our career, they’re probably only going to be around the $20–25 million range over the course of their career. So, they may have to go – they may have to go further.”
Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 SENIX Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at Echo Park Speedway on June 27, 2025 in Hampton, Georgia.
Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 SENIX Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at Echo Park Speedway on June 27, 2025 in Hampton, Georgia.
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Speaking on when a driver should retire, Busch added:
“This car is harder on you, so I don’t know. I think there’s a lot of factors that’ll go into that, right? So, um, I don’t want to speculate as to when drivers should hang it up or whatever. But, I mean, if you’re competitive and winning and you know you’re making the most of your team and everything else with what you got, then keep going as long as you’re happy.”
Busch spoke about his retirement in March, admitting that he considered it seriously three years ago, but now, he just wants to drive through victory lane with his team, Richard Childress Racing. Newsweek Sports reported his comments:
“It was a consideration three years ago. I think daily, you kind of work through those things and thoughts and where you wanna be and what you want to do. When you’re still out here being able to enjoy what you’re doing, working with your team and continuing to try to improve RCR and improve the program and get it to where we all want it and put ourselves in Victory Lane, we’re gonna keep working at it.”