NASCAR’s Kurt Busch confirms IndyCar interest
By Asher Fair
NASCAR Cup Series driver Kurt Busch, who competed in the 2014 Indianapolis 500, confirmed that he would like to return to IndyCar at some point.
In 2014 in what was his first NASCAR Cup Series season driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, Kurt Busch became just the fourth driver to attempt the Memorial Day Double.
The 2004 Cup Series champion made his IndyCar debut in the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway behind the wheel of the #26 Honda for Andretti Autosport. After finishing in sixth place as the highest placed rookie, he flew down to Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete in the Cup Series race, the Coca-Cola 600.
Busch is now in his first season driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. While his contract has not been extended for the 2020 season, there are rumors that he will be back behind the #1 Chevrolet with additional backing from primary sponsor Monster Energy next year.
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The 41-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native stated that he wants to sign a contract extension through at least the 2021 season, as that is what the Gen-7 car is set to be introduced in the Cup Series.
According to NBC Sports, Busch stated that he and the team are “headed in a good direction”. Busch also confirmed his interest in returning IndyCar and that the subject has been brought up during his contract negotiations with the team.
The idea of Busch returning to America’s open-wheel racing for series, for the Indy 500 and/or other races on the schedule, has been floated ever since he signed with Chip Ganassi Racing last December, as they are one of the two organizations that field teams in both NASCAR and IndyCar. Team Penske also field teams in both series.
Talks of Busch returning to IndyCar intensified when it was reported in early September by Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern that Monster Energy, which will no longer be the title sponsor of the Cup Series next because of the series’ new sponsorship model, are set to double down on their investment in him and the team.
This announcement came just one week after Monster Energy debuted as the primary sponsor of Felix Rosenqvist’s Chip Ganassi Racing Honda IndyCar at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Could some of the company’s additional investment in Busch and the team go toward another IndyCar effort, perhaps another Indy 500 effort? It appears that this is a serious option.
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Will Kurt Busch return to the Indy 500 at some point in the near future, perhaps with Chip Ganassi Racing if he continues driving for the team in the NASCAR Cup Series? Will he competed in any other IndyCar races within the next few years?