NASCAR: Kyle Busch’s hilarious one-word message on contract rumors

Kyle Busch made his feelings clear about the rumors currently going around about his future — or lack thereof — in the NASCAR Cup Series.

At Talladega Superspeedway two weekends ago, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch made several comments that left fans wondering about what his future may hold in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Busch is in a contract year, and before the 2022 season started, longtime primary sponsor M&M’s announced that they would not be returning to the #18 Toyota in 2023.

The 37-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada seemed to indicate that a lack of sponsorship is what is keeping him and the team from getting a deal done, and if a deal doesn’t get done, he would lose his ride.

The obvious replacement would most certainly be Ty Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs who currently competes in the Xfinity Series.

Busch admitted that he probably wouldn’t end up signing elsewhere if his tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing isn’t extended, but he stopped short of calling it a retirement, stating that he would simply say he lost his ride.

Afterward, Joe Gibbs stated that he is “confident” that things will get done with Busch, and Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson even stated that he was a “little disappointed” in Busch’s comments.

While there have been additional talks since his viral remarks last week, nothing new has been announced.

However, Busch wore his feelings about the matter on his shirt at Dover Motor Speedway this past weekend.

His t-shirt simply stated one word: “clickbait”.

Busch, who has long been known for making statements to the media that get people talking, stated that short comments like the ones he made last week are sometimes taken out of context, but he noted that he did answer all the questions he was asked. He admitted that he didn’t elaborate, but he also wasn’t telling an inaccurate story.

In essence, nothing discussed or written about the situation beyond those comments actually came directly from him.

All in all, it’s quite clear how Busch feels about the various rumors that have circulated. While there will, and probably always should be, an element of speculation before things are confirmed, especially considering the fact that he is a 60-time race winner and two-time Cup Series champion, at no point did he give a true indication, one way or another, of what his future holds.

And so it really is just that: speculation.