Stewart-Haas Racing 'fully expects' Kurt Busch back with team in 2019

Kurt Busch’s contract with Stewart-Haas Racing expires at the end of the 2018 season. And the team said Wednesday it “fully expects” Busch to return in 2019.

The team issued the statement — a statement issued just six races into the 36-race season — to the Sports Business Journal on Wednesday evening.

“SHR fully expects to have Kurt Busch back in its No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford in 2019 and has had no other conversations regarding the No. 41 team.”

Busch signed a one-year extension of sorts with the team after the 2017 season. We say “of sorts” because the team said it wouldn’t be picking Busch’s contract option during the season but Busch re-signed with the team in December.

Busch joined Stewart-Haas Racing before the 2014 season when the team expanded to four full-time cars. He’s made the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the team and has won five races, including the 2017 Daytona 500.

But the “industry rumblings” have come at a time where NASCAR teams have turned to younger (and cheaper) drivers. At 39, Busch is one of the older drivers in the series and his 2004 championship is now the least recent title won by an active driver.

Plus Stewart-Haas would have a potential in-house replacement for Busch if it wanted to go in that direction for 2019. Cole Custer is in his second year driving for the team’s Xfinity Series team and won the 2017 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Custer made his Cup Series debut at Las Vegas earlier this season and finished 25th.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter

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