Taxicab driver Busch blown away by IndyCars

After driving taxicabs all his life, Kurt Busch now knows what it is like to drive a real race car

After his whirlwind month, Kurt Busch earned a one-day trip to Virginia International Raceway for a day of road course testing with Stewart-Haas Racing.

His first day off finally came Wednesday, when Busch finally got to reflect on becoming the fourth driver to run both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Although he came up short in his bid to complete all 1,100 miles, he earned widespread praise for his strong showing in his first career IndyCar race.

An engine failure cut short his run in the NASCAR race, but Busch was sixth in the Indy 500 and earned the rookie of the year honors at the post-race awards banquet. Busch fought back tears as he accepted his award and thanked team owner Michael Andretti for the opportunity.

"This whole dream of mine started two years ago when my career was at a crossroads," said Busch, who lost his ride with Roger Penske after the 2011 season. "Michael Andretti, I met up with him, and I'll tell you, it was a unique chance to talk to him about running a NASCAR team and it was like, 'Hey, if you've got an open-wheel ride, I'd like to try out that Indy 500.' And he said, 'Kid, you can come race for me anytime.'"

Although there were fans who felt 19-year-old Sage Karam, who drove from 31st to ninth, was a worthy choice of at least co-rookie honors, Busch believed he was a true newcomer despite his vast racing experience. He said he was "blown away" by adapting to the aerodynamics of an Indy car and the nuances of open-wheel racing. His speech on Monday night made it clear he was truly humbled by his entire experience.

"I've been to 15 Daytona 500s, I've been to that many Brickyard 400s, but honestly, the Indianapolis 500 will blow you away," he said.

But will he do it again?

"The million-dollar question is, 'Will I be back?' I'd love to be back," he said. "I had so much fun. The key to all this was the blindfold, and they took it off right at the end of the race and I ended up sixth." Charlotte Observer