RACINBOYS EXCLUSIVE By Lee Spencer (Madison, IL) -- Furniture Row Racing met with team principals from GMS Racing on Tuesday in Denver, but neither party expects a deal between the two organizations to materialize.

The defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship team’s intention is to remain on its current course.

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Trotman/Getty Images

President Joe Garone told RacinBoys.com that Furniture Row Racing’s top priority is to fill the sponsorship void created by 5-hour Energy’s departure at season’s end.

“Everyone wants to stay together,” Garone said. “We have an unbelievable team, but we need a sponsor. Our partners need to know what we’re doing. We’re in a critical time frame and have decisions that need to be made.

“We have a plan in place to continue running. We want to continue with Toyota, perhaps contract (downsize) and not have to rely on a technical partner. But this is a team that is not satisfied with just running. We want to be competitive. We are competitive. Toyota has been a terrific partner, and it has always been our intent to stay with Toyota. Right now, we’re doing everything in our power to replace 5-hour and continue to win races and championships.”

Garone said FRR learned of 5-hour’s plans to adopt a new marketing strategy “around July 1,” despite the success of the No. 78 Toyota and driver Martin Truex Jr. The reigning Cup champion is currently third in the standings with four wins in 2018.

On Friday, Garone and GMS president Mike Beam confirmed the meeting.

“We looked at it,” Beam said. “We talked about it a lot. It’s definitely a great race team. We just don’t have time to put it together.”

Garone insists nothing has advanced past the point of discussions, but he added that Furniture Row is “looking at every option."

“Our primary goal is to keep the team together,” Garone said. “Our whole team—Martin, (crew chief) Cole (Pearn)—they want to stay together. We need to find a company that gets behind Martin Truex Jr. and (FRR owner) Barney Visser and sponsors this team.

“We have brought NASCAR to the fans of Colorado. What a great opportunity this would be for a local company in Denver to build a marketing platform around this organization.”

In the last decade, Visser, 69, has built the Furniture Row Racing into a championship-caliber organization. Although Kurt Busch was the first FRR driver to qualify for the Playoffs in 2013, the combination of Truex and Pearn has elevated the organization to a perennial contender. While pundits have speculated on Visser’s future commitment to the team, Garone maintains the former racer’s interest hasn’t waned.

“Barney wants to race--he loves it,” Garone said. “He loves the competition. He’s in this to win.”