August 26, 2022 | By Lee Spencer

Team Penske solidifies its lineup, but Kyle Busch is still in limbo

Over the last two weeks, Team Penske has locked down two franchise drivers for its NASCAR Cup program.

Joey Logano’s future with the organization is secure following the announcement of a multi-year deal for the former champion on Wednesday. One week ago, Penske confirmed rising star Ryan Blaney had also re-signed with the powerhouse organization. 

Entering the Playoffs next weekend, the timing could not have been better. Logano continues to pick up momentum following his fourth consecutive finish of sixth or better. The 32-year-old racer has fought his way up to fourth in the Cup standings.

Blaney, 28, hasn’t been nearly as consistent, but he’s currently third in the standings. Coming off of a three-win season last year, Blaney appears ready to establish himself as a weekly contender. 

The third piece of the Team Penske puzzle, Austin Cindric, pulled off the biggest victory of his career when he won the Daytona 500 in just his eighth Cup start. The third-generation racer, who turns 24 next week, is not only talented but brilliant and disciplined.

So it comes as no surprise when Team Penske president Tim Cindric is asked to confirm the company is not interested in the Kyle Busch sweepstakes. “We can officially say that,” he said.

Penske is concentrating on the Playoffs. Two drivers—Logano and Cindric—are locked in. Blaney needs to win, stay ahead of Martin Truex Jr., or finish sixth or better to advance.

“The Playoffs are going to be tough,” Cindric added. “The Chevys have been dominant, and that’s continued all year long. Hopefully, we can close the gap and have a shot at it with the experienced guys that we have.”

Chevrolet has won 14 of 25 Cup races in 2022. Chase Elliott leads the manufacturer with four wins. Seven drivers have two wins—including Logano, who also won the season-opening Clash at the LA Coliseum. When asked what the determining factors were that enticed Logano to continue his course with Team Penske, the answer was simple. Logano appreciates top-caliber equipment, the ability to continue to build on the success of the No. 22 crew and to enter the Playoffs without the distraction surrounding contract discussions.

Logano is one of four drivers to win the Cup championship in the past four years. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are the two most recent winners and Kyle Busch won his second title in 2019. All four competitors have cars capable of winning on a weekly basis, Larson, Elliott and Logano are entering the postseason with no worries other than battling for the championship.

Kyle Busch has yet to reveal his plans for beyond this season. While Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota both said they were working diligently to retain Busch, it certainly would have been in the driver's best interest to solidify his status prior to the postseason. 

Like Logano, Busch would love to have the continuity that comes with a long-term relationship—particularly one that has delivered two titles and 56 wins in 15 years with JGR.

“That's nothing to bat an eye at,” Busch said. “We've had some, some really strong runs and some great results. We've won championships and 50-something races together. Obviously, to continue on with that – my dream was to always have the chance of being able to go out when I want to and retire when I want to and sort of do the Ivan Stewart ‘Ironman’ deal with Toyota where he's kind of a lifer. He goes to all the Toyota functions and all the Toyota things and he's one of those guys that man, whenever you're at one of those things, and you see ‘Ironman’ Ivan Stewart hanging around you know, it's really awesome to see the brand tie that he has. 

“That was always kind of my thought of being the NASCAR guy in the Toyota realm and being one that's been the most successful driver for that manufacturer here in the NASCAR ranks. So, you know, we'd love to have that opportunity. It's just a matter of being able to put all the pieces in the right places. And you know, it's not as simple as a seven-year-old puzzle. It's about a 50-year-old puzzle, just with the amount of pieces and how long this thing has been taken. So we're still working through all that.”

Busch admits that he’s entertained scenarios from a variety of organizations while he awaits JGR’s next move. Unlike when he went through a life-changing possibility in his career in 2007 at 22, Busch must now take into consideration both his family and his business—Kyle Busch Motorsports.

“The landscape of the sport was entirely different 15 years ago,” Busch said. “I had a runway of 20 to 25 years ahead of me, you know, so I had probably a little bit more runway to stand on. And I understand that. I get that. But to me this situation right now is very important to me, as well as Kyle Busch Motorsports. Because wherever this next place is, whether it's Joe Gibbs Racing or whoever. I would like it to not have to go through this again, right? 

“I've got six, seven, maybe eight more years if I play all this out perfectly. Brexton and I share a truck when he turns 16-years-old when he's 16 and 17. And then it's his when he's 18. And I'm done. I'm out. You know what I mean? Like that's the perfect play. And so, if I can align all of that, you know, the runway does exist for a Busch. Obviously, he's pretty talented. He wins a lot. He wins more than I do. I hear about it every day. So the runway for him, if you want to look at it that way is 30 years plus so you know he can he can carry on this legacy a hell of a lot longer than I will.”

If Busch intends on maintaining a competitive status in the sport, there are only so many top-tier teams he can join.

Currently, there is no room at the Hendrick inn. Team Penske is full. Kevin Harvick said he would love to have a driver of Busch’s caliber but neither Stewart-Haas Racing nor Ford has any interest in acquiring a truck team. Zane Smith is holding his own in the Camping World Truck Series and Ford dominates the truck market with F150s.

The power play would be for a Chevrolet team to snag both Busch and KBM. From a truck perspective, the Bow-tie Brigade would gain the powerhouse NCWTS organization—and leave Toyota with only ThorSport to contend for Tundra wins.

But which Chevy Cup team for Busch? Richard Childress Racing hasn’t had a driver of Busch’s caliber since Kevin Harvick left. Tyler Reddick was the future but is off to 23XI Racing in 2024, and he is still a couple of years out from his prime.

Unfortunately, RCR has not been a title contender since Dale Earnhardt died. Busch would change that. Oh to have been a fly on the wall when Busch met with R.C. at Childress Vineyards a few weeks back. Is there enough incentive to attract the 37-year-old champion? 

Kaulig Racing has also been mentioned as a player. Here is an up-and-coming organization that has pumped new life into AJ Allmendinger’s career. Could Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice do the same for Busch? A second full-time team and driver would benefit Justin Haley exponentially.

Finally, and perhaps the organization that has been the fastest off the blocks and has incredible blue sky ahead is Trackhouse Racing. Justin Marks is doing magical things. In just its second season in Cup, Marks’ drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez have scored three wins and locked themselves into the Playoffs. On Friday, the organization announced a contract extension for Suarez.

Trackhouse is already testing the waters with a third team—Project 91. So a third Cup team would not be out of the question. Expanding its footprint to include a truck program—and possibly venture into IndyCar--would further ingratiate Trackhouse into the Chevy fold.

And if Busch is not only shopping for himself, but also for his son Brexton, there’s no better place to build a brand and a future than with Justin Marks. The question is, however, does the Busch brand fit Trackhouse? While Marks loves to win, he also expects a positive attitude from his drivers. With Busch, Marks might have to sacrifice one for the other.