CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Kyle Busch is eligible to compete for the NASCAR championship despite missing the first 11 races this season because he was injured.
NASCAR announced Wednesday it has granted Busch a waiver that would allow the Joe Gibbs Racing star to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Busch will run in Saturday night’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, less than three months after suffering serious injuries when he crashed into a concrete wall at Daytona International Speedway. He has been sidelined since the Feb. 21 crash in the Xfinity Series opener in which he broke his right leg and left foot in an accident that spurred safety reviews throughout NASCAR.
Busch, who is returning to racing this weekend for the exhibition All-Star race in Charlotte, needs a victory in one of the remaining 15 points races and be 30th or better in the standings to qualify.
“I think the top-30 rule makes a lot of sense,” Busch said Tuesday in anticipation of the waiver. “In my mind, it was intended for someone in my situation that has a car, sponsor and team that was set to run the entire year for a championship.”