By Jerry Jordan, Editor
FORT WORTH, TX – Any thoughts that Kurt Busch was one and done at Chip Ganassi Racing were proven wrong as he announced Saturday that he will be back in the No. 1 car for multiple years.
As his opening schtick, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage presented Busch with a rocking chair but the 41-year-old driver quickly broke character and threw a yellow flag and making it clear, he was headed for the old folks’ home. Busch then joked that his wife, Ashley, had encouraged him to keep racing because she wanted to continue her role on the CMT Series show, Racing Wives.
In reality, Busch and Ganassi did something no one in NASCAR has been able to do – sign Monster Energy to a deal before the 11th hour – and expand their sponsorship to more than a single year.
“There’s no time for a rocking chair, this old guy has got some kick left in him,” Busch said, catching some in the audience by surprise, who actually thought he was retiring. “This is not a young man’s game out there – the way through. This is for a veteran and with a great sponsorship and a great team owner, I am here to announce that we are extending this partnership and I’ve brought in some of my great friends from Monster, let’s get this party started.”
With that Busch and a host of Monster Energy Girls popped open confetti-cannon champagne bottles and announced he had a “multiple year” deal to be behind the wheel at Chip Ganassi Racing.
“It means the world to me to have this come together and have a championship quality ride to race at this point in my life and in my career,” Busch said. “There’s still more special moments ahead, there is still more to accomplish. There is plenty of gas in this tank.”
While Busch didn’t say exactly how long the deal was, Ganassi joked that it would be laid out in the media’s copy of the contract, which would be handed out after the press conference. Obviously, that never happened but those familiar with the deal said Monster Energy had agreed to a two-year extension and Ganassi said the company had expanded its role.
“It’s not often that you get to bring a guy into a team that is a champion but he proved that, I think, in his driving this year,” Ganassi said. “He sparked that 1-car, taking it to places it has never been before. That was the first time a Chevrolet had won at Kentucky, so we were pretty pleased with that. Obviously, having Monster as a great partner has been a real shot for our team. As John (Olguin) said, we have signed both to multi-year deals.”
Unlike Busch’s past two years in the sport, the multi-year contract brings a huge relief and will go long ways in lower Busch’s frustration level with media members asking him about his future.
“Part of this skit here today is really, I don’t understand what the need is to know when my deal will be done, so it was fun to take you guys on that little ride for a quick minute,” Busch said. “But that is the ride you guys take me on every week. And to have a multi-year deal, it will be very comforting to know that I won’t have to answer the questions weekly about being a 41-year-old veteran, where there is a young push. That will be refreshing because the focus should be on-track. It should be the on-track product, what happens out there racing, what happens out there during the week with different promotional things and continuing to build this sport that has given me so much, those are some of the big reasons I have signed on again to keep going and to smile out there and go after the trophies.”
Monster Energy has been a partner with Busch for nearly a decade and through the ups and downs of his career the company’s representatives have supported and stood by him. Repeatedly, they have expressed their desire to be affiliated with the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and in making the contact announcement, Mitch Covington, V.P. of Sports Marketing, said the company had a “fantastic” partnership with Busch and Ganassi.
“We’re racing people at Monster Energy and we knew immediately that we had found fantastic racing partners in Chip Ganassi, Kurt Busch and all involved at Chip Ganassi Racing,” Covington said. “NASCAR is a major part of who we are at Monster Energy and to be able to compete at a championship level with Kurt Busch and Chip Ganassi Racing truly reflects who we are and fires-up our desire to not only win races, but to make a serious all-in run at the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series title. Go Kurt, Unleash the Beast and welcome race fans.”