Kurt Busch has options for 2018: "Phone didn't stop ringing all week"

Kurt Busch’s options remain open for next season.

Since Stewart-Haas Racing informed the driver they were not picking up the option on 2018 on Tuesday, his phone has been ringing off the hook.

“The phone didn’t stop ringing all week, not just because it was my birthday,” said Busch, who turned 39 on Friday.

“They chose not to pick up their option, but I see it as good options for me. I’m not too worried about it. I feel like there’s more options out there than exist here.”

Busch is not counting out his current ride the No. 41 Ford with SHR, where he has spent the last three seasons and qualified for the Playoffs each year. While Busch has time to consider his options, he would like to be in a good place prior to the playoffs.

“I’m looking for the best possible option to race a competitive car that’s got a chance to win races, win poles and compete for a championship,” Busch said. “There’s different cars that are options for me, and Stewart-Haas is one of them.

“The disruption of them not picking up my option, it gets the crew guys all flustered. Ford is very surprised by it. And so we’ve just got to stay focused, stay sharp. There’s no reason to not think that I couldn’t be back here. It’s just a matter of making it all work out. I’m not too worried about it.”

The 2017 Daytona 500 winner and 2004 NASCAR Cup champion has 29 Cup series wins, 21 poles, 127 top fives and 252 top 10s in 597 starts. He is currently 14th in the Cup standings with two top fives and nine top 10 finishes.

Busch won his title the first year under NASCAR’s Chase format with Ford and has qualified for the playoffs 10 of the last 14 seasons.

“Ford is definitely more on my side than they are with the way that the results came out,” Busch said. “So we’ll see how it all plays out.”

Ford Performance released the following statement on Saturday:

"Contracts are between drivers and teams with Ford having rights of approval. That said, we are hopeful that Kurt and Stewart-Haas Racing can come to an agreement that will keep him in a Ford going forward."