Joey Saldana

Longtime Sprint Car owner Dennis Roth is scaling back, leaving driver Joey Saldana looking for a ride in 2017.

CONCORD, N.C.: Joey Saldana knows all too well the twists and turns a Sprint Car career can take. There are no guarantees.

A driver has to expect a measure of uncertainty. Saldana's been with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series for 17 years, so he is aware more than most drivers how this game works.

And that fact is evident for the second year in a row, as Saldana enters the offseason wondering what his future holds.

According to Saldana, Dennis Roth Motorsports scaling back. The move leaves the Indiana driver, who has 99 career World of Outlaws victories, ride searching heading into the offseason.

"The 83 won't be on the World of Outlaws tour next year," Saldana said Saturday before the start of the final night of the Bad Boy Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals.

"They've had some important people; Jack Ventura passed away this year, which is a big part of Dennis Roth Motorsports. Dennis had heart surgery this year, and I think he is stepping back a bit. At his age, he doesn't have to do anything. He's done enough."

A year ago, car-owner Dan Motter decided to leave the World of Outlaws and scale back his operation, which left Saldana on the market.

Roth stepped in and gave Saldana a seat, and the team responded with five wins, 30 top-five finishes and 61 top 10s heading into the last night of the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

The move doesn't mean Roth is getting out of Sprint Car racing totally. Saldana indicated that the longtime owner is interested in helping him with another team.

"He's offered me some help to go to another team," said Saldana, who sits fifth in the World of Outlaws point standings. "Finding the team is the problem.

"In today's world of Sprint Car racing, there are no teams. Hopefully, someone is looking for a driver and wants to do something where I can go to Dennis and put something together. He isn't leaving me hanging. It's not a divorce by any means."

The World of Outlaws circuit offers the highest purses and best competition in the sport, and Saldana's ideal situation would be to return to the series next season.

Finding a team willing to run a grueling schedule that features 80-plus races around the country is the hard part. Timing is also an issue, as the World of Outlaws season is slated to begin in roughly three months.

"The World of Outlaws is where it's at," Saldana said. "They pay the most money, and they pay the best purses. It's a tough schedule, but at the end of the day, you are a professional racecar driver and make a pretty good living doing it.

"I've been lucky to do it for 17 years. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to go home Monday, go to the gym, work out and see what happens.

"I'm a believer in God, and I believe things happen for a reason. If it's God's will for me to have a ride and run with the World of Outlaws, that's where I will be. If not, I will do something else."

Saldana still has plenty of good races left in him.

At 43, Saldana isn't ready to retire. He brings experience, a desire to win and hopes to have Dennis Roth involved with a new team in the future.

"Dennis brought me to the World of Outlaws in 1996," Saldana said. "If he wouldn't have seen the potential in me, I wouldn't even be here.

"I drove for him in 2001 and again this year, and three years with the World of Outlaws is a lot. He was also involved at Kasey Kahne Racing for three years, so he's done a lot for Joey Saldana's career.

"Dennis is not leaving me hanging. It would be a great involvement for Dennis and someone else. It's just got to be the right situation."