WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: Kyle Busch’s 2023 plans for next season remain in limbo and with no update on his status during his availability Saturday morning at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion did hint however that his future will take a different look.
Busch, 37, is in the final year of his current contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and has yet to sign an extension with the powerhouse Toyota team.
On Saturday, Busch explained that he has not been told that returning to the Huntersville, N.C.-based team is no longer an option, but he has been entertaining offers from other organizations.
So deep into the 2022 schedule and just 12 races remaining before the focus factor shifts towards a new season, clearly it’s not the Busch had hoped for.
Longtime partner Mars Inc., makers of the famed M&M candies and the longtime partner of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Camry announced late in 2021 that it would be ending its NASCAR sponsorship after the 2022 season.
Despite numerous efforts to try and find a replacement for Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing so far has been unable to find the funding to keep Busch locked in the future.
“I’m a racer and only ever known how to race, nothing else, trying to do other business projects and things like that, but none of them have really blown up and taken off,” Busch said. “So, it has been hard and figuring out all of that is certainly tough.
“And the first time I went through this was 15 years ago and it was a learning experience. It was hard then too, but it was nothing like now. Then it was just me, myself and I. I didn’t have (wife) Samantha, I didn’t have a son. I didn’t have a daughter. All I had was an agent that was helping me.
“It’s way, way harder because now you have Kyle Busch Motorsports that you’ve got to think about, you’ve got a building that you’ve got to pay on, you know, you’ve got a building note and all that sort of stuff. So, there’s a lot of pieces and that’s why it’s not so simple.”
Chatter remains in the garage that if Busch departs Joe Gibbs Racing, possible landing spots include 23XI Racing, Kaulig Racing and Richard Childress Racing.
Stewart-Haas Racing was another organization that appeared to show interest in the Las Vegas, Nev. native but Motorsport.com first reported that Aric Almirola would stall his retirement until the end of the 2023 season and return to the No. 10 Ford Mustang.
SHR’s chief competition director, Greg Zipadelli earlier this week said the current plan was to have Cole Custer return to the No. 41 team – leaving zero seats open for one of the sport’s finest.
Busch reiterated that if he were to leave JGR, it will be important to join an organization where he felt he had a chance to win races.
“I don’t feel like it’s fair to me or my family or anything else if we’re going to have to spend less time together moving forward because we are going to have to change our lifestyle, no questions,” Busch explained. “There’s a big change coming.
“And so, is it worth it to go run around and not have an opportunity to win right away versus building something versus jumping in something that can win? All those questions are certainly being weighed out.
“Again, that’s also why it’s not so simple and so easy. So, thankfully there are opportunities out there. There are Cup jobs available. But again, it will not look the same as what it has for the last 15 years.”
When asked if Busch’s energy drink, Rowdy Energy Drink would be in any position to support his future Cup endeavors, he replied, “No, no, it makes decent money, but the problem is that the expenses that you have in which to build this business to build this company and all that sort of stuff.
“We’re not black yet. We’re still in the red. So that, no, you can’t default on a loan in order to pay yourself sponsorship. That’s not going to happen. So, you know, the idea behind this, the premise behind this was I had another 10-year runway to go and keep going and with M&M’s and Mars and everything else.
“We never thought this position would be here. And so, I was going to have that chance to build that and get it going and get it off its feet and we would find out in seven or eight years whether or not it would be something that would be sustainable for this opportunity that’s here now early to then have that supportive, right or support Brexton or whatever going forward, but it’s way too early for that. So unfortunately, that doesn’t exist.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
