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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.
Aww WTF!? I dont like this news...
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WOW.
Holy CRAPOLA!!!
Something funky goin' on there..either ROUSCH didn't want to pay him some big bucks or there are personality differences...The Cat in the Hat wouldn't willingly give him up would he?
Perhaps Kurty went in demanding some BIG MOOLA and Jack said..HHAHAHAHAH...you aint done nothin', NASCAR handed you the Chumpeenship so there!!!You ain't getting $10Million to race for me, go talk to Joe...
Later...what's next? Jr. racin' for HENDRICKS???
Rousch Racing has had little difficulty in getting/keeping good "name" drivers, but this presents the chance to lose 2 this year (Martin/Busch).
Look for Waltrip to go to Toyota (probably his own team) in '07
I guess going over to Dodge from Ford was a major move. Wait and see how he ends up this year. That guy can drive on any track, no matter how much anyone hates his mug.
The rumor mill is that Penske is making Rubberhead the richest driver (at least until the next contract).
KB & RP make a strange combination. I'd be intereested in the cancellation clauses.
I don't really see Rusty's fans being big Kurt Busch fans.
I thought Tony Jr. was going with MW?
It only seems strange until you see the history of Penske's CART/IRL teams. Think Emmerson Fittipaldi and AL Unser Jr. for starters.
Doesn't look like it, though the unwillingness on the part of DEI to keep Tony Jr on the #15 in 2006 is one of the main reasons Mikey left.
RP's had a tough time letting go though (EP/Lil Al/PT for example) drivers he likes----perhaps a little too faithful.
Busch and Miller make a stranger combo.
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