NASCAR Silly Season isn’t just about NASCAR

There have been several big storylines to follow during this year’s NASCAR Silly Season. But some of them stretch beyond NASCAR.

As usual in the NASCAR Cup Series world, this time of year is filled with Silly Season rumors about drivers signing contract extensions, landing with new teams or even being fired or retiring ahead of the ensuing season.

That has been the case this year for the 2020 season as well.

But there are a few rumors, two to be specific, including one that doesn’t technically pertain to next year, regarding this year’s Silly Season that may have to do with more than NASCAR, even from a racing perspective.

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They involve Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch.

Because Johnson’s post-NASCAR future has been discussed for several months now even though his current contract with Hendrick Motorsports runs through the 2020 season, let’s discuss that first.

There have been retirement rumors surrounding the 43-year-old El Cajon, California native for the last few seasons. He hasn’t won a race in well over two years, the 2018 season was his first winless season as a full-time driver and now he failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his career this year.

Will the 2020 season be his final season in NASCAR?

That may be a moot point as it pertains to his next landing spot.

Johnson recently spoke with former NASCAR driver and former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the 273rd episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast and discussed the possibility of running in road course races, particularly in an open-wheel racing series.

After the 2018 season ended, Johnson did a Formula 1 ride swap with two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso at Bahrain International Circuit. He then stated that he would be open to driving in IndyCar road course races at some point following his NASCAR career.

Driving in only road course races is not a radical idea for IndyCar. Ed Carpenter Racing have fielded a car for team owner Ed Carpenter in the oval races and that same car for another driver in the road and street course races since the 2014 season, and now they have a partnership with Scuderia Corsa to field that car in the road and street course races.

The future of this road and street course car, the #20 Chevrolet, is unknown beyond the conclusion of the 2019 season. The car hasn’t seen the same road and street course driver for the entirety of two consecutive seasons, so to say that its future is also unknown beyond the conclusion of the 2020 and 2021 seasons would be a massive understatement.

Could Johnson end up there?

At this point, it’s nothing but pure speculation, but it certainly wouldn’t be uncharted territory for Ed Carpenter Racing to bring in a NASCAR driver. Former IndyCar driver Danica Patrick drove for the team in the 2018 Indianapolis 500 after nearly seven full years away from open-wheel racing and six seasons competing NASCAR, including five in the Cup Series.

Sure, Johnson isn’t a former IndyCar driver, but seven championships at NASCAR’s highest level has to count for something in the world of motorsport, no matter which series we’re talking about.

But enough about the distant future; let’s talk about 2020 as it pertains to Busch.

Busch will likely be back with Chip Ganassi Racing for a second consecutive season next year, and primary sponsor Monster Energy, which will no longer be the title sponsor of the Cup Series because of the series’ new sponsorship model, is set to double down on their investment in him and the team, first reported by Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern.

With Monster Energy having made its debut as the primary sponsor of an IndyCar — one of Chip Ganassi Racing’s IndyCars, no less — just over one week before Stern shared this development, could some of this additional investment go toward another Indy 500 effort for Busch?

Busch is the most recent driver and the fourth all-time to attempt the Memorial Day Double by competing in the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before flying down to compete in his regularly scheduled Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He did so in the 2014 season and has not ruled out the possibility of doing so again. Driving for one of the two teams that compete in both NASCAR and IndyCar, he is in a prime position to do it, and team owner Chip Ganassi has stated that he is game to make it happen as well.

Isn’t NASCAR Silly Season supposed to be “NASCAR” Silly Season?

The implications of NASCAR Silly Season pertaining to the 2020 season and beyond extend well beyond NASCAR. Will Jimmie Johnson end up competing in IndyCar in two or three years? Will Kurt Busch make his second attempt to become just the second driver to complete all 1,100 miles of the Memorial Day Double?