Kyle Busch Free to Enter Indy 500 with Chevy

Simply stated, Kyle Busch is now available to compete in the Indianapolis 500 to any Chevrolet team that might be interested in fielding a car for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion next May and beyond.

As a result of Busch signing with Richard Childress Racing on a multi-year agreement to pilot the No. 8 Camaro ZL1 at the highest level of stock car competition, the 37-year-old will also be unimpeded to participate in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

That wasn’t the case over the past 15 years when he drove for Joe Gibbs Racing and under the Toyota Racing Development banner.

But since Childress fields Chevrolets, the other manufacturer alongside Honda in the NTT IndyCar Series, Busch has full permission from all parties involved to compete at the Racing Capitol of the World.

"I made sure it was in the deal," Busch said during after his introductory press conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday morning. "I can do it. Any IndyCar teams that are Chevrolet, call me up."

Busch had wanted to compete in the race for at least a decade, an fascination that only increased after his older brother Kurt finished sixth in the 2014 running. He made several overtures to Joe Gibbs over the years but was repeatedly told he couldn’t pursue the option during that tenure.

The Indianapolis 500 wasn’t a priority of his negotiating process but joining a Chevrolet team that would permit him to seek a team and the necessary partners was certainly a perk of the past several months.

"None of the teams I spoke to, that wasn't on the priority list," Busch said. "The priority list was me, myself. Can I win races? Can I win championships? And then what does (Kyle Busch Motorsports) look like.

His wife Samantha is on board too.

"Yeah, I mean, she hasn't said no," Busch said. "The last person that said no is my former boss."

Chevrolet motorsports general manager Jim Campbell says nothing is imminent and doesn’t know what the manufacturer role in such a program would look like but knows that’s an appealing factor of driving a Chevrolet.

"I will say, Chevrolet, we put out a press release the other week that stated we’re the only manufacturer that is in NHRA, IndyCar, IMSA, Best in the Desert, Extreme-E and some off-road crate racing," Campbell said. "What drivers like about that, if they’re interested in crossing over, that Chevrolet has the biggest platform. There’s no doubt about that."

The current Chevrolet affiliated IndyCar teams are Team Penske, Arrow McLaren SP, Ed Carpenter Racing, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Juncos Hollinger Racing.