NASCAR: Kyle Busch to Stewart-Haas Racing for 2023?

Kyle Busch is still without a contract to compete for Joe Gibbs Racing next year. Is Stewart-Haas Racing a legitimate option for him in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season?

Kyle Busch entered the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season in a contract year with Joe Gibbs Racing, and making matters even more interesting was the fact that longtime primary sponsor Mars Wrigley confirmed before the season started that this would be their final season with the #18 Toyota.

Busch initially didn’t reveal much about his situation, other than the fact that there was plenty of uncertainty — and the fact that the ongoing hunt for sponsorship had played a key role in that uncertainty.

The 37-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native stated back in April that it could very well be “goodbye” if he and Joe Gibbs Racing don’t agree on a new deal.

Of course, many chalked those cryptic comments up to Kyle Busch being Kyle Busch. However, as time has gone on, it has become more and more clear that a return to Joe Gibbs Racing may very well not happen, especially after what was once a promising sponsorship development recently fell through.

But if Busch were to leave Joe Gibbs Racing and continue to compete at the sport’s highest level, a scenario which is entirely possible considering the fact that he has been open about being in talks with other teams, he would surely want to join a team with which he could be a weekly contender.

The only team that could truly give him that opportunity right away, among teams with uncertain driver lineups for 2023, is Stewart-Haas Racing.

Stewart-Haas Racing is a team at which there could still be a driver lineup change for the 2023 season, despite a recent announcement.

Aric Almirola announced before the 2022 season began that this year would be his fifth and final year behind the wheel of the #10 Ford, but even though he has since reportedly changed his mind and plans to return for the 2023 campaign, there is still some uncertainty surrounding Cole Custer’s future in the #41 Ford, given his overall lack of performance.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s struggles over the last two years have been well documented, but every one of Custer’s teammates has found victory lane since July 2021. Custer hasn’t found a top eight finish since August 2020. While team executive Joe Custer is his father, is it time for Stewart-Haas Racing to move on?

Team co-owner Tony Stewart has not been shy about taking big swings in the past, most notably when he tried to sign Kyle Larson for the 2021 season, only to be denied by Ford because of what Larson said to lead to his suspension from NASCAR and subsequent firing from Chip Ganassi Racing back in April 2020.

It would certainly make sense to take a big swing now while he has the chance, considering that Almirola and possibly Kevin Harvick might be retiring after the 2023 season, leaving the team with further decisions to make.

But would he be willing to pursue Busch?

Regardless of whether he would or he wouldn’t at this stage in the game, there would still be a few potential obstacles which could stand in the way of the move taking place. The big reason here is Busch’s Truck Series team, Kyle Busch Motorsports.

For Busch to be able to jump from Joe Gibbs Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing, he would also need to leave Toyota after 15 years and move to Ford.

That would also inherently require his organization to do the same.

Kyle Busch Motorsports have long developed young NASCAR talent for Toyota in the Truck Series, and a number of former Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers have gone on to compete in both the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series, including some who have gone on to compete for Joe Gibbs Racing.

So the end of Busch’s relationship with Toyota and the loss of a premier feeder team would hurt Joe Gibbs Racing far beyond simply losing Busch as a driver.

Could it happen? Sure. We know that Busch has been in contact with teams representing both Toyota rivals (Chevrolet and Ford), and he wouldn’t be involved in these discussions if the possibility didn’t exist.

But Ford replacing Toyota as their manufacturer just isn’t something that’s going to happen without a massive paycheck — a paycheck in addition to the paycheck Busch would surely command for Stewart and Gene Haas to put him in the #10 Ford on a multi-year deal.

At the end of the day, the most likely option is still Busch returning to Joe Gibbs Racing for at least another year behind the wheel of the #18 Toyota.

While a new deal will probably look different than his past deals with the team, a 2023 return to the team for which he has competed since 2008 is considerably more feasible than a switch to Ford, especially since the “confirmed” open seat at Stewart-Haas Racing is now set to be occupied by the same driver who currently occupies it.