As he prepares to resume contract negotiations with Ganassi, the longest-serving Cup driver has received calls from other teams.
Kurt Busch recently made it clear what his plans are for his future in NASCAR when he responded to a fake Twitter account reporting his imminent retirement with a scene from The Wolf of Wall Street’s “I’m not leaving” scene. Busch has made it obvious that he plans to compete in his 22nd Cup Series season; the only question now is where he will do it.
Kurt Busch’s current contract, which he signed with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2019, is set to expire at the end of the 2021 season, making him a high-profile free agent still in great demand: According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion, is the frontrunner to drive a second car for 23XI Racing in 2022. A clause in Busch’s current contract that prevented him from speaking to other teams has reportedly expired, letting him to talk about his future at Ganassi as well as elsewhere.
Busch said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that his contract status is “wide open” and that he currently has nothing lined up for 2022. Busch has received calls from 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing, both of which are first-year Cup teams looking to expand, but he wants to talk to Ganassi first about a contract extension.
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“Talks are gonna start here at Ganassi first. I respect Chip and I respect this team,” Busch said. “We’ll talk with Chevrolet, Monster Energy, they have a big say in what’s going on. As a sponsor, they’re out there to win, and to win, and to win – That’s all they want, and we’re not doing that right now, so we’ve got to sort through that.
“But yes, other teams are calling. 23XI, Trackhouse, there’s all kinds of options everywhere.”
Busch has won twice in Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 1 Chevrolet and qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs twice since joining the team in 2019, with a best finish of 10th in 2020. After a long top 10 drought, Busch and his team have been mired in a slump in 2021, and are currently at 18th in points: Busch’s sixth-place result at Sonoma this past weekend was his third of the season and first since Homestead in February.
Busch has been a full-time Cup driver since 2001 and is the sport’s longest-serving current driver. He is now in the age group that has seen Cup stars retire in previous years. Despite the fact that Busch will turn 43 in August, he stated that the launch of NASCAR’s Next Gen car in 2022 and the opportunities it brings for him personally is a huge motivator for him to continue competing at the top level of stock car racing.
“I grew up racing any kind of car, anytime, any place. And this is my 21st year — why not go another, why not go out there and challenge myself with something new with the Next Gen car?”, Busch said.
Busch would join 23XI or Trackhouse as a veteran complement to Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez, respectively, who are still emerging young talents. Busch is now a teammate with Ross Chastain at Ganassi.
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