Could changing from one greybeard to another in the No. 1 Chevrolet be a boon to Chip Ganassi Racing next season?
If NASCAR Silly Season rumors are already starting to fly around, you can expect to see Kurt Busch in the middle of them. The seemingly perpetual uncertainty surrounding the elder Busch brother’s plans for the next season is back in effect, even though his return to the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford is once again a possibility.
Assuming Busch doesn’t reach an agreement with SHR, he’s going to attract some interest as a free agent. Yes, he’s 40 and the youth movement in the NASCAR Cup Series is in full swing, but he’s also still running well — he’s almost a lock to make the NASCAR Playoffs again this season — and his name has already been thrown around in connection with Richard Childress Racing for 2019.
The latest rumor has him connected to another Chevrolet team:
.@CGRteams is among those that @KurtBusch has talked to about a possible ride in '19, per sources.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) August 9, 2018
➖ @JamieMcMurray's deal is up at the end of this year, and Ganassi Racing is evaluating its options, including the possibility of keeping McMurray with the No. 1 Chevrolet in '19. pic.twitter.com/Py0UusCRzy
Chip Ganassi Racing definitely has a decision to make with its No. 1 Chevrolet for next season, as Jamie McMurray seems to have lost a step (though the general struggles of all Chevrolet teams with the new Camaro certainly can’t be helping). McMurray is currently 22nd in points with just four top-10 finishes, and is on pace for his worst full campaign since 2011.
A big factor could be whether Monster Energy comes along with Busch, which is also something that has been floating around in the Silly Season ether. Despite the fact that you’d automatically expect an energy drink company to want a younger driver, Busch has been an excellent ambassador for the brand, and Monster appears very loyal to him in return.
That would make Busch very attractive to Chip Ganassi Racing, which always seems to be scrambling around a bit for sponsorship. It would be a shame if McMurray, one of the legit good guys in NASCAR, gets Matt Kenseth-ed (we decided his name can be used as a verb now) into retirement as a result, but Busch plus Monster may be too tempting for CGR to pass up.