NC Charlotte: Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion, says he intends to decide where he will drive shortly after the next season.
Busch told reporters at NASCAR's postseason media day on Thursday that he has a variety of alternatives available to him.
When asked if he expected to make his decision within the next seven to ten days, Busch replied, "It needs to be... Undoubtedly, the clock is ticking. Some numerous further alternatives and dominoes need to fall. Speaking collectively, I'm the first to have to leave.
"More than one (team) that has paper in front of me, sure," stated Busch.
We're doing anything we can to keep Kyle in our family, says TRD President.
When Mars, Inc. said it would leave the team and the sport after the 2022 season, the current problem began. According to reports, $20 million a year was paid by Mars, Inc. to sponsor Busch's No. 18 squad at Joe Gibbs Racing.
Earlier this year, Joe Gibbs Racing lost a potential sponsor, which laid the stage for Kyle Busch's turbulent summer.
When asked by NBC Sports about his experiences during this procedure at Watkins Glen last month, Busch responded: "It's been hard as hell. Determining your future and other issues has kept many nights awake.
What would happen to Kyle Busch Motorsports should he decide to leave Toyota and join another team or manufacturer has been one of the challenges.
According to Busch, the Truck Series option with Kyle Busch Motorsports "has definitely made this issue, 80-85% harder than just myself." If it had been just me, "I would have finished by now."
Joe Gibbs Racing is running out of time to locate a sponsor that can completely fund the No. 18 team with five months till the start of the 2023 season.
Some have questioned if Busch's personality is as much to blame for the problem as the inability to reveal a sponsor. Despite his talent—some consider him to be the best of his generation—simple it's to uncover videos of his acts or remarks that would cause some potential sponsors to have second thoughts.
When asked if Kyle's divisive character affected his ability to land a sponsor last weekend at Daytona, Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson responded, "Of course. Absolutely. Every week, we emphasize that being the best driver is insufficient at the highest level of this sport. The debate about who is the best of all time includes Kyle Busch. He is now smashing every record set in the history of the sport.
"In this sport, that's not good enough. To steer the ship, you need corporate America's sponsorship. That's not for me to decide whether or not that's a good thing. That is true.
"The setting has been difficult. Some of that is simply a natural byproduct of the current economy, inflation, or recession, as the case may be. Again, some of that is unquestionably attributable to the divisive nature of some drivers. They don't work for all sponsors.
Busch has recently been "arguably charming," according to Wilson.
"He's well served to be that Kyle Busch," Wilson said. "He knows in his heart that he's auditioning for someone." "It's been enjoyable, and I'll add that this applies to more than simply our interactions with the press. He is trying his best. He is, without a doubt.
Busch was pleasant and engaging in his roughly 30-minute interview with reporters at the Charlotte Convention Center. Admittedly, it occurred away from the track in a more informal environment.
Busch admitted that his personality might play a role in finding sponsors but said there were other considerations.
"Yes, it's probably harder for me to sell a sponsor because of who I am, but I'm going to fight that fact. Name me the last $5 to $10 million sponsor that's just come into our sport."
Busch stated, "I feel like having the ability to act or respond to certain situations, the way that I could through the assistance of M&M's helped me to be as successful as I was on Sunday, 1,000%. Will, that need to alter, then? Very likely How much are 10% and 15%?
Then, referring to the number on his car, he smiled and remarked, "Maybe it's 18%."
Busch claims that despite everything, he is still optimistic that he can claim his third championship this year. He is ranked 11th in the 16-driver field going into Sunday's playoff debut at Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET on USA Network).
Busch stated, "I think we're a top-five, top-six squad right now. "We just need to fix a few of our errors,"
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