Two days after announcing on Twitter that he would not return to Stewart-Haas Racing next season, Kurt Busch will drive for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon.
Busch, a native of Las Vegas, Nev. will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet vacated by Jamie McMurray, who has driven the car since 2010. Monster Energy moves with Busch to Chip Ganassi Racing as the primary sponsor next season for an unannounced number of races.
“I am tremendously proud to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing and the prestigious group of alumni,” said Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion. “Ganassi’s forward-thinking approach is why I have decided to commit all my years of Monster Energy Cup experience to CGR. Let’s win, let’s have fun!”
Motorsport.com“>Motorsport.com’s Jim Utter first broke the news on the move back in August at Michigan International Speedway. Team owner Chip Ganassi later confirmed to the Associated Press in September that he had offered a McMurray a ride for the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, but wanted the Joplin, Missouri native to move into a leadership role outside of the cockpit beyond the “Great American Race.”
Busch joined SHR in 2014 after a one-year stint at the now-defunct Furniture Row Racing. In five seasons aboard the No. 41 Ford, Busch, 40, has won six races – at least one each year, including the 2017 Daytona 500 with crew chief Tony Gibson. His best championship finish at SHR was seventh, twice in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
CGR will be the sixth Cup team that Busch has competed for during his Cup Series tenure. He began his journey full-time in 2001 with Roush Fenway Racing and won the ’04 championship in the inaugural year of the Playoff format. Two of his 30 career wins include triumphs in the 2017 Daytona 500 and the 2010 Coca-Cola 600.
“We have had the good fortune of having a lot of great drivers here at Chip Ganassi Racing across all forms of racing, and Kurt Busch adds to that list of great drivers,” said Ganassi.
“He is a former NASCAR Cup Series champion and Daytona 500 winner, and I believe still has a burning desire to win races and compete for a championship. In addition, getting to work with and represent a brand like Monster Energy makes it even that much more exciting.”
Monster will continue its relationship with the 39-year-old Busch for a fourth Cup season.
“Monster is super happy to get onboard with Chip Ganassi Racing and Kurt Busch,” said Mitch Covington, Vice President of Sports Marketing, Monster Beverage Company. “Kurt has been a Monster Energy athlete for several years now and we were glad to see him team up with another strong team. I believe Kurt and the team will win a lot of races and we will have a lot of fun.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
