Champ still in need of some work

Busch facing surgery to deal with issues from February crash

Sprint Cup season champ Kyle Busch is doing great on his victory tour.

“It’s truly been a whirlwind 48 hours,” he said Tuesday of his time working the talk-show circuit in New York.

But eventually, when the lights go out and the champagne bottles are empty, it’s back to reality. As in foot and leg surgery.

Busch is not officially out of the woods yet in regard to health, an issue since his car veered off the track with just a few laps left in the first Xfinity Series race of the season. The car went across the grass and crashed head-on into an interior wall that didn’t have a SAFER barrier.

Busch suffered a broken leg and foot. Some minor repair work, including removing a metal rod from his leg, still needs to be done within the next few weeks. He’s hoping both procedures can be done in one day.

“Not exactly sure when,” Busch said. “Either the week after the banquet (in Las Vegas) or the following week.

“Just having to re-go through the knee and to cut the knee open again in order to pull the rod out, that’s going to be the most traumatic part and just having that have to heal and go back together and let the muscle get back together, and of course the tendon as well.”

But in the meantime, good times.

“To hear everyone calling me, ‘Champ,’ introducing me as the Sprint Cup champion, it’s really awesome to hear that,” he said. “I’m pumped and I couldn’t be more elated.”

it’s

all

There were a lot of magical moments the day of Jeff Gordon’s final ride in Homestead. But none was more precious than when he saw his mom approaching his motorhome Sunday morning.

“As soon as I saw her, I got emotional,” he said. “Before she even came in the bus, I just saw her, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m bringing her in here right now.’

Mom’s visit:

“You know, she was not prepared for what was about to happen, I promise you. She walked in, and we started hugging and talking, and I just started thanking her over and over and over again for all that they did for me.

“I just started being very, very thankful of getting here and being a part of this and how special it was that I saw her at that time because I didn’t know they were coming to the track at that time, and it just happened to happen. It was perfect.”

Actor and comedian Drew Carey will be the host for the Sprint Cup Series awards show set for Dec. 4 from the Wynn Las Vegas. The event will be broadcast on NBCSN at 9 p.m. Eastern, with coverage also set from Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Performers include musical artists Andy Grammer, Sam Hunt, Rachel Platten and Sabrina Carpenter.

Carey hosts awards:

— George Diaz