Blaney & Wallace Get Long-Term Extensions, Still Nothing For KFB

By: Tom Luttermoser       Image via: Disney
Best Friends off the track, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace have announced in the last couple weeks that they have both received Multi-year contract extensions. Bubba Wallace received a Multi-year deal on Friday Aug. 12th following his runner up finish at MIS and his first career Pole award. With Multi-Year extensions becoming more and more rare in our sport, it is awesome to see two teams making huge investments like this in their veteran drivers. 

“Ryan has become one of the top competitors in the NASCAR Cup Series and we are excited for him to continue his career and build on his success with Team Penske,” said Roger Penske. “He has been a key part of our team for more than a decade and we have seen him grow and develop, both on and off the track. He has become a consistent winner behind the wheel of the No. 12 Ford, and he also does a great job representing our team partners. We look forward to what the future holds with Ryan and Team Penske.”

Great words to hear from The Capitan about Ryan who is now 28, so he has some years left in him at the sports highest level. Clearly Penske thinks so too. Ryan is winless so far this season and is currently in a heated battle with Martin Truex Jr for the final spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with just 2 races to go. 

Bubba Wallace, fresh off his runner up finish at Michigan got the news last week that he will be a set fixture of the 23XI organization. Although just like his friend Ryan, no official contract lengths have been publicly announced. It is assumed Wallace has been signed for 3+ years, keeping him in the 23 Toyota Camry into 2025 or longer. 

Wallace stated, "Thanks to MJ and Denny for continuing to believe in me. We've come a long way together in less than two years and we've checked off some major goals along the way. We know we still have work to do, both on and off the racetrack, but I feel good about our team and the direction we're heading."

Denny Hamlin, Co-owner of 23XI Racing with basketball legend Michael Jordan called Bubba Wallace a "key part of the early stages of 23XI." Adding, "The goal was to help him take his career to a higher level, and we have done just that," Hamlin said. "Bubba is continuing to get more competitive each week. We're excited to see his growth as he and the team work toward achieving our goals."

Now to the opposite end of the spectrum, Kyle Busch. Busch has been in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time since 2005 with Hendrick Motorsports in the #5 Kellogg's Chevrolet. Since 2008, Kyle has grown to dominate the sport racing for (at the time) the new Toyota powerhouse at Joe Gibbs Racing and has been the top driver for that team ever since. Now that may be coming to an end with the departure of his full-time main sponsor, Mars Candy. Mars has supported Kyle and the 18 team since 2008 and announced earlier this season that 2022 would be the end of their sponsorship in NASCAR leaving a gaping hole in the funding of Kyle (who is the highest paid active driver in the sport) and the 18 team. Both JGR and Busch have made it very clear that they have not found a sponsor and that it could very easily lead to Kyle leaving the 18 Toyota. 

Kyle Busch has stated publicly that other teams have shown interest in signing him if he does not return to Joe Gibbs Racing. It has been nearly half a season and the winningest driver in the history of the sport and the man who is now tied for 9th all time Cup wins at 60 does not have a contract for 2023. It is no secret that the only active 2 time Cup Champion demands a massive salary, and rightfully so, but the days of those 8-figure salaries seem to be over. Kyle has stated that he is willing to take a pay cut to stay with the JGR organization and even then, nothing has been announced. 

Some of the teams that have been in the rumor mills as of late for possible landing spots have been Richard Childress Racing, 23XI Racing, Kaulig and Stewart-Hass Racing as well. I know the entire NASCAR world is standing on edge waiting for an official announcement of some sort, and it will not come soon enough for us. Definitely not soon enough for the younger of the Busch brothers.