WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – In his first three days testing the NASCAR driver market, Kurt Busch already has received “a couple of offers.”

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver spoke with a small group of reporters Saturday morning before Cup practice at Watkins Glen International in his first interview since Stewart-Haas Racing declined to pick up Busch’s contract option for 2018.

“They chose not to pick up my options, but I see it as good options for me,” Busch, who turned 39 Friday, told ESPN.com, KickinTheTires.net and Motorsport.com. “I’m not too worried about it. I feel like there’s more options out there than what exist here.

“The phone didn’t stop ringing all week and not just because it was my birthday.”

Busch had said several weeks ago he expected to the option to be exercised because he had delivered the necessary results.

“There is no stress whatsoever,” the reigning Daytona 500 winner said. “There’s plenty of time for all options to unfold. There are a couple of offers already, so we will see how things work out.”

Stewart-Haas Racing has declined to address the news aside from posting a tweet Tuesday, indicating it expected both Busch and sponsor Monster Energy to return the No. 41 Ford. Busch said continuing at SHR, where he has raced since 2014, was a possibility.

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

Though he seemed unworried, Busch implied the team’s decision had created some tension within his team and caught SHR’s manufacturer off guard.

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

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

Asked for a reaction to Busch’s comments, Ford Performance released a statement: “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.”