Kyle Busch will return to Joe Gibbs Racing. When? Even the boss doesn't know.
Gibbs spoke to NASCAR media members ahead of Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta and updated an update on Busch, who was injured at Daytona.
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Busch is recovering from a broken right left and broken left foot. Those injuries are likely to cost him months, not weeks.
So, how long will he be out of the car?
"You would be guessing," Gibbs said.
Gibbs also couldn't say which injury would take longer to heal, although doctors have said both surgical repairs went well.
There was good news: Busch, Gibbs said, "is doing real well. He's home. He's coming off a lot of the pain medication. I've talked to him. He's got great spirits."
For now, JGR has David Ragan in the No. 18 car. Ragan appeared confident in the car, and the team shares his optimism. Busch would be a contender week after week, but Ragan had a strong practice on Saturday as he settles into the car.
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Unless Ragan folds, Gibbs will have time to let Busch recover. Matt Crafton drove the No. 18 at Daytona and finished 18th. Busch was injured in a crash during Feb. 21's Xfinity race, prompting JGR to call Crafton back from Huntersville, N.C., to replace Busch.
Crafton, a Truck Series regular, won Saturday's race at Atlanta.
There's an interesting scenario unfolding for Ragan and the Chase. His regular ride to start the season was the No. 34 car for Front Row Motorsports. If he wins a race and stays in the top 30 in points, Ragan would qualify for postseason competition in the car he drives to finish what NASCAR considers its regular season.
"As a race car driver, I had to look at my career and my opportunities, and this was something that I couldn't let pass," Ragan said on Thursday. "I'm very fortunate that our (Front Row) team owner Bob Jenkins and Jerry Freeze (general manager) were open to the idea. I think they're happy for me to be in a situation with quality people, quality team, but also to remember where I came from.
"Certainly, the Front Row Motorsports team has been a great spot for me the last few years, and if it were a situation where I was committed to a full-time program and we had a full-time sponsor, it would have been something that I couldn't have made happen. The stars just aligned right."
Get well, Kyle. Ragan will keep that seat warm.