CONCORD, NC – MAY 28: Kyle Busch, driver of #18 M&M’s Red White and Blue Toyota, drives during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Coca-Cola 600 Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28, 2022 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Update 2: While Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing remain committed to signing Kyle Busch for a contract extension, a Toyota executive told NBC Sports that they are “planning contingency.”
David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development, said the manufacturer and JGR are “trying to find a way” to keep the two-time Cup champion with them – the home of Bosch since 2008.
“If there’s no sponsorship there, maybe we can make a bridge somewhere,” Wilson said.
The problem with Joe Gibbs Racing is that he hasn’t been able to secure Busch’s sponsorship for next season. Until that happens, the organization is unlikely to sign Busch on a new deal.
A potential sponsor fell earlier and re-searched for sponsorship. Wilson said there were talks with “a number of sponsors.”
– NBC Sports –
Update 7-17-2022: On Saturday, Kyle Busch said there is no set deadline to boost a potential return to Joe Gibbs Racing next season, adding that he has held talks with other teams.
“I mean, it’s going to be great sooner rather than later, but honestly, it doesn’t matter when or when it’s done,” Bush said ahead of Saturday’s Cup Series qualifiers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Until it’s announced that someone else is driving 18, I feel like I still have a seat.”
Toyota had a huge hit earlier this week by signing Tyler Reddick to 23XI Racing, a JGR affiliate, for the 2024 season. Bosch hedges on whether this addition to the Toyota camp would affect his negotiations but admitted he had spoken with other teams.
“The short answer is yes,” Bush said. “But you know, yeah, obviously anything is possible. There are all kinds of different things that can happen. It’s just a matter of what he does.”
– NASCAR.com –
Original mail 7-7-2022: Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern has left no empty words: The team intends to bring Kyle Busch back into Toyota’s #18 for the 2023 Cup Series alongside Ty Gibbs once again in the Xfinity Series.
What disturbs these plans is the lack of contracts signed in the middle of the 2022 season.
Bush, the only active cup champion in the ring, loses the longtime sponsor in March, you’re at the end of the season. In a conference call Thursday, Alpern indicated that the search for a two-time Titlist alternative sponsor is still ongoing.
“We’ve been pretty consistent since the end of last season, which is we want Kyle to be in car number 18 and that’s our plan,” Alpern said. “We’re still working on sponsorship, and as far as our sport is, it takes a long time. And admittedly, that takes a little longer than we thought. It’s not because of a lack of interest. She’s just trying to put everything together. So it’s probably going to happen in parallel. Others, we hope to make a decision on something here in the very near future.”
–NASCAR.com –
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