Kurt Busch chases 2nd Cup title amid uncertain future

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Kurt Busch knows he took his first and only NASCAR Cup Series championship for granted. The one that came 14 years ago with another team. “If it happens again, I’ll appreciate it that much more,” Busch said Friday.

Now 40 years old and with an uncertain future after this season with Stewart-Haas Racing, Busch arrived at Texas just outside the top four with two races left before the finale at Homestead, where four drivers will race for the championship. Three of those spots are still up for grabs.

“We have all the confidence in the world, we have all the right to be in the position we’re in,” said Busch, fifth in the standings and 25 points out of fourth. “Black and white is we have to win. That way we control our destiny. We can still point our way in, and that’s been our strength, the consistency of our team this year.”

While Busch is still trying to clinch a spot, Joey Logano is the only driver already locked in for Homestead after his bump-and-run to get past defending Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. at Martinsville last weekend.

Truex was clearly upset after the race, when he vowed to prevent Logano from winning the title: “He may have won the battle, but he ain’t winning the damn war.” He sent a text to Logano later Sunday night.

“I didn’t expect to hear from him, so I wanted to tell him how I felt,” Truex said Friday in Texas. “I wanted to get his point of view and what he was thinking. What he thought about it. Now I know.”

Logano said he wasn’t surprised to hear from Truex.

“I am glad he did. It kind of broke the ice,” he said Friday. “I was planning on waiting a couple days to let things settle. It got a lot of things out of the way. We both know where we stand. We know where it is at. It is what it is and we move on.”

Seven other drivers are still competing for the final three spots. All four Stewart-Haas drivers — Busch, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola — are alive in the playoff chase, along with Truex, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott.

While Kurt Busch has no contract yet for 2019 — he said there is “no movement on that” at this point — he is focused on trying to get another championship with the No. 41 Ford.

“It hasn’t been a distraction because I think the team and myself, we’ve all pushed that aside, and said let’s focus on the now and getting the best that we can with the mindset, the crew guys, just the overall atmosphere,” he said. Texas Motor Speedway Sunday, 3 p.m. TV: NBCSN