Posted on 08/09/2005 11:01:47 AM PDT by housewife101
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch told Roush Racing he has signed with another racing team for 2007 and has asked to be released from his 2006 contract, Roush said Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear which team Busch signed with, although Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. all have cars coming open next season.
Roush said the team will wait for ``an indefinite period'' before making a decision on Busch's request to leave after this season. In a statement announcing Busch's departure, Roush said it would have no additional comment on the split.
Busch spokesman Kevin Thomas did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Busch stands fifth in this year's points race, 277 points behind leader Tony Stewart. After a slow start to his Cup defense, he has finished in the top 10 in five of his past six races, including Sunday's 10th-place finish in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in Indianapolis.
With victories this season at Pocono and Phoenix, Busch seems a solid bet to be among the top 10 drivers in the points standings when NASCAR resets the field for its 10-race Chase for the Championship following the Sept. 10 race in Richmond, Va.
Busch has been with the team since 2000, when owner Jack Roush hired him to drive in the Craftsman Truck Series.
He won four races that year and finished second in the points standings, leading Roush to move him straight to NASCAR's top series without the traditional intermediate stop on the second-tier Busch Series.
He won his first Cup race in 2002 and had four wins that season. For his Cup career, Bush has 13 wins in 171 starts.
Busch is one of five drivers racing in the Nextel Cup series for Roush. The others are Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.
Busch, who turned 27 last week, was the third-youngest champion in NASCAR history when he won the title last season.
He recently said he felt his team was poised to make a run for back-to-back titles, something no one has done since Jeff Gordon in 1997 and 1998.
``We're up to the challenge again,'' Busch said. ``At this point in the season, everybody feels a little bit of pressure to lay the hammer down a little bit harder.''
Busch has a history of feuds with rival drivers -- Jimmy Spencer punched him in the nose in 2003 -- and run-ins with NASCAR officials.
Earlier this year, after a tantrum at Darlington that included expletives directed at NASCAR officials over his in-car radio, Busch was placed on unofficial probation by NASCAR and given notice that the sanctioning body would tolerate no more bad behavior.
Ted Kennedy?
Nascar ping
I doubt he's going to DEI. I don't think Junior would go for that, not that it's his call.
Hopefully Mikey can pick up his ride.
My first thought would be Penske for the #2 car, but I actually would place my bet on........DEI! Face it, KB is not that popular. Between his run-in's with Spencer and his tantrums with NASCAR officials, he doesn't get a lot of love. Moving to DEI would give him instant support from Jr nation. Just look at how fans voted Truex into the Challenge race this year. Why? No Cup poles, no Cup wins. But he drives for DEI and that's all that matters. I wish KB the best of luck, but I think he is leaving the best fleet of cars in Cup. Maybe the best is not good enough when you have 4 teammates with the same stuff.
I think you are right. Not the kind of company man Penske would like. Might not be enough room for another angry driver at Gibbs. If it is true, he will totally eclipse Junior, who is talented, but way overrated.
Kurt Busch to take over No. 2 car
Defending Nextel Cup champion will leave Roush Racing, perhaps as early as 2006
By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer
Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch has signed with Penske Racing South to replace retiring driver Rusty Wallace in its No. 2 Dodges, Penske and Roush Racing announced Tuesday.
Less than two hours after Roush said Busch signed with another team for 2007 and asked to be released from his 2006 obligations, Penske Racing released a one-sentence statement saying it had signed Busch "to a multi-year contract to drive for the team beginning with the 2007 season."
Sources confirmed Busch's 2007 deal could make him one of the highest-paid drivers in the sport, if not the highest.
What Penske would do should Busch not get out of his 2006 deal isn't clear, although asking Wallace to remain another season does not appear to be an option, sources said.
Roush officials said a decision will be made at a later date.
"Due to sponsor and team considerations no decision on that request will be made for an indefinite period," the Roush statement said. "Roush Racing will have no further comment at this time."
In an ironic twist, it was Roush Racing that began the sign-the-driver-early wave, by signing Jamie McMurray to a 2007 contract earlier this season to take over the No. 6 Fords of Mark Martin, who is also retiring.
McMurray has, so far, been unable to get out of his 2006 obligations with Chip Ganassi Racing, and Martin has been asked about driving the No. 6 one more season.
Junior has to win a championship before he can make that kind of call.
Unless he gets the Eury's back, i don't see it happening for another 3 years plus.
Probably. It's been a tough year to watch.
I wonder who will take a 1-year ride in the Blue Deuce; Rusty already ruled out an encore (kind of hard to do one after a "Last Call"). Could they move Travis Kvapil over there for a year (the 77 is a sore appendage on Penske much like the #11 is for Gibbs)? Maybe Sterling Marlin will be pitching another brew for a proper retirement tour. Michael Waltrip would be a dark horse.
Regarding Dale Jr and DEI, a poorly-kept secret is that Tony Eury Jr (who until very recently was working there on a handshake deal) will go back to the 8 next year.
I agree with the Penske statement. Plus, Penske (especially the #2) hasn't shown a lot of muscle except when #12 qualifies.
Gibbs doesn't seem like the place either. B. Labonte and T. Stewart have both won championships so there's no instant marketing value by hiring Busch.
As for Ganassi......Why would anyone want to drive for a team that Felix Sabates is involved with?
The DEI thing is just too juicy because he would be a recent Cup champion on a team that frankly looks lost.
The only other outside possibility I can think of would be something at RYR. It would keep him with Ford and could be tied into DJ's retirement plans. But, the strife that would occur between Yates and Roush would ruin their engine relationship.
We are both surprized.
Good! I'm not a huge junior fan, but if they are going to survive, that's what is needed.
You got that right! Man, I really don't understand that move. I guess we will soon find out how good (or bad) Rusty really is.
They are talking out in the open about Eury going back to the 8 team. That's why Waltrip left, he knew that was going to happen. Jr. apologized, ate some crow, and Eury accepted.
Gibbs fired Leffer today and they are bring in the older Labonte to be the temp replacement driver - Hendrick was ok with that. Labonte Bros. will be on the same team for a little bit.
Leffler was my biggest preseason-prediction goof. In 21 races, he went from my "comeback driver of the year" to the first big name out of a ride (Hermie Sadler, Stanton Barrett and Randy LaJoie don't qualify as such, at least at the Cup level).
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