NASCAR icon Kyle Busch has surprisingly withdrawn from the Adelaide 500, a major motorsport event in Australia where he was scheduled to compete in both the Supercars and Super2 races.

Busch was originally set to be a highlight of the upcoming event, organised by Triple Eight and Supercars in conjunction with the Adelaide event organisers, but the announcement of his withdrawal just days before the event was officially announced this weekend has saddened the community.

Fans had been eagerly waiting to see how Busch would fare against the Supercar competition – a stark contrast to his usual NASCAR rivals.

The backstory to Kyle Busch’s involvement dates back to last year’s Adelaide 500. The idea of ​​him joining the league first came up during discussions with his NASCAR team boss Richard Childress, with the goal of improving Busch’s skills on road courses.

A first collaboration with Erebus Motorsport began to prepare him with drivers Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown.

However, complications arose and the project with Erebus Motorsport did not bear fruit. It was only revived by Triple Eight in June, after Will Brown’s NASCAR debut with RCR at Sonoma.

Busch justified his withdrawal from the league by citing an unavoidable commitment in the USA, which disrupted Adelaide’s schedule and promotional activities.

The South Australian Motor Sport Board reacted with disappointment to the withdrawal:

“Due to time constraints and commitments, the possibility of an international Supercars wildcard at the VAILO Adelaide 500 in 2025 is being explored,” they told Speedcafe.

“We look forward to introducing even more international off-track talent for the 2024 event as we continue to build a motorsport mecca in the heart of Adelaide this November,” the board added.

Despite Busch’s absence, Adelaide 500 organizers are still preparing for a successful event. This year, the race will feature sprint car racing for the first time, providing even more excitement for motorsport fans.

NASCAR racing calendar 2025

The 2025 racing calendar has yet to be finalized and confirmed, but as DailyDownforce.com reports, here’s what we do know:

• February 16: Daytona 500
• May 18: All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway
• May 25: Coca-Cola 600
• June 28: Atlanta
• July 6: Street race in Chicago
• August 24: Daytona summer race

The reported playoff schedule is as follows, as Newsweek previously reported:

Round 1
August 31: Darlington Raceway
September 7: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
September 13: Bristol Motor Speedway

Round 2
September 21: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
September 28: Kansas Speedway
October 5: Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval

Round 3
October 12: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
October 19: Talladega Superspeedway
October 26: Martinsville Speedway

championship
November 2: Phoenix Raceway