Kyle Busch working on deal to remain with Joe Gibbs Racing
Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing are working on a contract extension. // Jeff Robinson, NASCAR Scene
All indications point toward Kyle Busch remaining with Joe Gibbs Racing instead of hitting the free-agent market next season.
Representatives for both sides said Tuesday that contract extension talks have picked up recently and are expected to conclude with a new deal by the start of the 2010 season. Busch’s current contract with JGR had been set to expire at the end of next year.
“We’ve had ongoing discussions with them, and it has gotten a bit more serious,” Busch’s agent, Jeff Dickerson, said.
Team President J.D. Gibbs said he was “excited” about getting closer to a deal to have Busch remain with the team and said he didn’t anticipate any deal-breakers standing in the way of extending their union.
“Everything is looking long-term,” he said. “The [M&M] Mars partnership has been great, [along with] Interstate Batteries. Kyle has been really kind of growing, maturing.
“To me, it’s just detail stuff. I feel we’ll be in really good shape, just knocking some stuff out.”
Busch has won 12 races in two Sprint Cup seasons at JGR and won the Nationwide Series championship this season – his first NASCAR title – under the organization’s banner. He was not expected to look elsewhere, despite missing the Chase and having crew chief Steve Addington replaced with Dave Rogers in the aftermath.
Busch said earlier this year that JGR felt like home and that he hoped to remain with the team that has accepted his occasional outbursts.
Team owner Joe Gibbs and son J.D. “like me for who I am,” Busch said. “They see I have the drive and tenacity to try to be the best there ever was.”
