CONCORD, N.C.: With a lot of attention on Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch isn’t shying away that his talks to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates next season hasn’t really taken place.
Busch, 40, signed with Chip Ganassi Racing last December and has enjoyed a successful season aboard the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, but Busch insisted Friday at Charlotte that talks would not heat up until after their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff run is complete.
“We haven’t really started talks,” Busch said. “I felt like it was good to get the Playoffs underway and go as far as we could comfortably. Man, there’s a lot going on and we’ll see how things play out.”
Sunday’s fall race at Charlotte is a cutoff Playoff race and Busch sits 15th in the championship standings, 14 points behind the cutoff spot held by Chevrolet teammate William Byron.
He won earlier this year at Kentucky Speedway beating his brother Kyle to the start-finish line and putting the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing team back in Victory Lane for the first time since 2013.
Poised to move his No. 1 team to the Round of 12 starting next weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, the Las Vegas, Nev. native revealed that the team’s concentration to do well in the 10-race Playoff run has taken precedence over his future towards a 20th year of Cup competition in 2020.
“Again, it’s all about all the stars lining up with Chevrolet, Monster Energy, myself, Chip (Ganassi). For me, I feel like things haven’t progressed because of the focus on the Playoffs.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01
