DARLINGTON, S.C. – With silly season in full swing, two players near the top of the gossip mill continue to be mum about their plans next season.
Both Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth offered little insight of their outlook for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series which could leave two of the sport’s pinnacle players in their arrangements or take up residency with a new organization.
Rumors circulating since Michigan International Speedway earlier this month have Busch and sponsor Monster Energy leaving Stewart-Haas Racing in favor of Chip Ganassi Racing, while Kenseth who emerged from a Cup sabbatical to help Roush Fenway Racing evaluate its second-car Cup program also has options on the table.
Busch admitted Friday afternoon at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway that he is weighing options. Busch’s one-year extension with Stewart-Haas Racing is up at the end of the year. In the same position, a year ago – SHR co-owner Gene Haas said at Michigan, he’d like to keep Busch behind the wheel of the No. 41 Ford if details could be hashed out.
The Las Vegas, Nev. native and most recent Cup Series winner at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago, doesn’t seem fazed by all the chatter.
“No updates,” said Busch. “I do have two contract offers that I’m looking at. It’s kind of the same thing as last year where the team at Stewart-Haas put me into free agency, and it gives me the opportunity to talk to others, and I do have the loyalty and the respect from Monster Energy.
“As the sport evolves and changes it’s unique for me too to understand more about the ownership side and how the different structures are set up. So, no updates. Just more information for me to digest. We’ll announce things when they get closer.”
As for Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion whether or not he continues to race in Cup after returning in May appears in limbo.
In his typical witty Kenseth demeanor, he offered non-answers about his future. Lured back to his stomping grounds at Roush Fenway Racing this spring, the Cambridge, Wisc. native has been splitting time in the No. 6 Ford Fusion with Trevor Bayne since Kansas Speedway.
Asked directly if he wants to continue racing or again be a full-time competitor, Kenseth brushed off the question and said he’s focused on the rest of the season.
“Those are probably things we’ll talk about at a later date,” Kenseth said. “But the season has been up and down. I wish the results were better than what they were, but on the other hand, I feel like we have made a lot of progress.
“It doesn’t really show necessarily in the stats sheet or the box score all the time, but I feel like we made a progress, and really just trying to keep that going and moving forward and keep trying to get more competitive by the end of the season.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
