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NASCAR: JGR Talks Extension With Hamlin, Kenseth’s Future Unknown

By Christopher Olmstead

Feb 21, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) and Denny Hamlin (11) race during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) and Denny Hamlin (11) race during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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In NASCAR the present and the future both seem to be bright for Joe Gibbs Racing, the only question is which four drivers will be on the team after the 2017 season.

Furniture Row Racing made a statement in NACSAR last week when they announced that Erik Jones would drive a second car with the team on a full-time basis in 2017. The announcement was by no means a shock as FRR works closely with Joe Gibbs Racing, who Jones drives for in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Although Jones running for FRR in 2017 is not a surprise, team owner Barney Visser coming out saying that he thinks Jones will leave FRR after 2017 is. If Jones does indeed only race for one season at FRR, the logical conclusion would be that he has a ride with JGR in 2018. The only issue there is that JGR currently has four drivers who don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

On Tuesday Matt Kenseth was asked about 2018 and beyond in relation to Erik Jones and the thought that he might leave FRR after 2017. Kenseth told NBC Sports that he wasn’t sure of the master plan while also poking fun at his current teammates.

"I think it’s actually Carl (Edwards) but don’t tell anybody. I think Carl’s on the hot seat. It’s either Carl or Kyle (Busch). I’m not sure which one.I’ve been involved in a lot of those talks, so I knew that was happening [referring to Jones and FRR], but I can’t say we’ve ever sat and had the conversation as to what exactly is 2018 going to look like and 2019. I don’t think anybody probably knows 100 percent sure.There’s been times where I’ve been asked about (retirement) a lot, ‘Maybe you’re not running as good and then you start thinking about it, ‘Well, maybe is it time?’I don’t really feel like I’m that close where I really can put a date on it to be honest. I feel great. More times than not, I’m having fun. I feel like we’re really competitive more times than not. And we’re capable of winning races, and I think we’re capable of winning championships. That’s just way on the bottom of my list of things to think about or worry about at the moment."

While Kenseth’s future is a bit unknown, the future of his fellow teammate Denny Hamlin seems to have a little more clarity. In the same report from NBC Sports, Joe Gibbs is quoted talking about the future of the team and how it relates to Hamlin.

When asked about Hamlin, who is under contract through 2017, Gibbs spoke about how they are talking extension.

"It’s still in the works. We’re talking now."

Obviously that doesn’t guarantee Hamlin will be signed past 2017 but it’s more of an indication than we currently have for Kenseth.

Another factor that is going to make things interesting moving forward is Daniel Suarez. Suarez could be ready to come to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2018 after having run a couple of full-time seasons in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. If that’s the case JGR could be facing an even more complex puzzle.

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If Jones does leave FRR to move to JGR in 2018, Suarez could slide into his spot in the No. 77 car. That sort of a move would benefit everyone involved with the exception of the current JGR driver that would be losing his spot to Jones. The good news for JGR is that they still have plenty of time to figure out how to put this puzzle together. The even better news for JGR is that the future looks to be bright regardless of the direction that they go in.

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