Kurt Busch May Surprise You with His New NASCAR Sprint Cup Ride

When it appeared Kurt Busch would have to accept a ride with a lower-tier team in NASCAR's elite series, his credentials as a driver just might land him yet another quality ride.

Busch and his separation from Penske Racing looked to doom the 2004 NASCAR Cup champion, especially after his behavior at the season finale race at Homestead.

Having realized he needs help, Busch resorted to seeing a sports psychologist to help him with his anger management and channel his emotions in a more positive manner.

Sponsors obviously want the most bang for their buck, but they need a driver who will represent them without controversy and negative publicity.

In what may be a pairing few could imagine, Busch quite possibly is the lead candidate to drive the No. 43 Best Buy Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports, replacing A.J. Allmendinger.

There is no doubt Busch can be a quality spokesperson for a sponsor. Best Buy could hardly pass a chance to snatch up a first-class driver, despite his personality flaws.

The question remains, if Allmendinger is out of the No. 43, will RPM expand to three cars? Of course, that brings up the issue of sponsorship for a third car and everyone knows how tight those dollars are.

Allmendinger failed to win a race this season, and has yet to win a Cup race. He finished 15th in the point standings with one top-five and 10 top-10 finishes this season.

Richard Petty Motorsports clearly would benefit from expanding the teams, and the hiring of Busch would give strength to the operation. Busch would clearly be the top dog at RPM.

It would seem odd that the former Penske Racing driver would return to a Ford team after having been released by Jack Roush after winning the 2004 Cup title.

His release from Roush Racing was based on behavior off the track related to drinking and driving in Phoenix.

Marcos Ambrose is currently the other stablemate besides Allmendinger at RPM. He has made it clear that one day he intends to return to the land down under, his homeland of Tasmania.

It has been reported by Sirius-Speedway.com that Richard Petty Motorsports Chief Operating Officer Robbie Loomis said, "I would mortgage my house to make Kurt part of this team."

Busch seems to be landing on his feet and will likely be behind the wheel of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports.

Stay tuned for further news on this deal because it will indeed be a hot topic with NASCAR fans.