RACINBOYS EXCLUSIVE By Lee Spencer (Brooklyn, MI) -- Tis the season to be silly.

And if NASCAR wasn’t entertaining enough on the track with the field battling for the remaining crumbs from the Big Three, the news regarding 2019 line ups of drivers, manufacturers and sponsorship are heating up.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Here are five headlines to keep an eye on:

Kurt Busch—As of Friday, the 2004 champion insisted that nothing has been signed for next season. “I’m talking with every three letter acronym in the motorsports world—SHR, CGR, FRR, RCR, ETC.,” Busch replied in a text. Still, reports have Busch headed for Chip Ganassi Racing. Sources also say Monster Energy, Busch’s sponsor, informed Stewart-Haas Racing they would not return in 2018. Speaking of Monster, their site’s description of Busch? “Regarded as one of the world’s most talented and versatile racers, Kurt has proven his worth in everything from a NASCAR Sprint Cup car to an Indycar, a NASCAR Truck to IROC and Sportscars…Renowned for his deft technical understanding, feedback and his unrivaled attention to detail, Kurt has elevated the performance of crews and cars alike, wherever he has raced.” Public relations babble? Certainly not. Busch will be an asset no matter what team lands him. And if it’s Ganassi, Busch will not only have the opportunity to run with Hendrick engines, if he hopes to make a return in the Indy 500 he’ll have top-of-the-line equipment to contend. Where Ganassi is concerned, the organization gets a champion capable of winning and someone to keep the seat warm until John Hunter Nemechek is ready to graduate to Cup.

Martin Truex Jr.—As of last Sunday, the defending Cup champion had yet to re-sign with Furniture Row Racing. And Furniture Row Racing had yet to sign with Toyota. The news broke in July that 5hour Energy was not returning to the No. 78 team. FRR knew way before the news broke. How is it that NASCAR’s current champion—who has improved his average finish over last year’s title run—is faced with filling nearly half of the car’s sponsorship inventory? If you think that team owner Barney Visser is going to step up and write a check to keep the car afloat, the you must have missed the press conference at Talladega when the Coloradan did his happy dance to announce the liveries were full for 2018. FRR president Joe Garone insists the team will remain in business next year. If not, then a bidding war will be on for Truex and his crew chief Cole Pearn. When I asked a team principal if Truex appealed to him, he answered, “Yes, but I’d rather have Cole Pearn.”

AJ Allmendinger—Dinger used to be the life of the party. It’s understandable that Tad Geschickter fell in love with the driver. But when he signed Allmendinger to a five-year contract, I questioned the wisdom of that move. What incentive did Allmendinger have to produce? Now, three years into a five-year deal the driver has produced four top-five finishes in 94 starts. No wins. No poles. 17 top 10s. There’s not a better salesman in the garage than Geschickter, but at some point you need to punt. Even if it’s a $3million mistake. When I asked Allmendinger about his status with the team, he replied, “You would have to ask them. I go out there and do my best. Contracts are more on the team owner side in this sport. So, I don’t think much about it. I just have to go out there and be at my best. No matter what I do, if I feel like I’ve given that’s all I can do. It’s for other people to decide on the future.” Ryan Preece has been rumored as Allmendinger’s replacement. When I asked Preece at the Glen if he was going into the No. 47, he replied, “No.” Of course, that’s what he should say but sources insist the 27-year-old New Englander is headed that way.

Kasey Kahne—Never in his 15 years on the Cup circuit has Kahne been outside of the top 25 until he signed up with Leavine Family Racing. On the radio, the communication between driver and team has been brutal. Of course there are two sides to every story but Kahne has posted just one top-five finish this season. Now, there’s another change in the works with LFR dropping its Chevy connection and moving to Toyota. When Kahne was asked about staying the course with the No. 95 team in 2019 he replied, “I want to do what makes the most sense for me at this point in my career. Right now, I’ve enjoyed working with everybody over there, and I feel like we are slowly getting better. If they make a change, no matter what it is that they make a change to, I want to be part of that if I feel like it’s going to better our team and better our company and give us the best shot to win at this level again. I’m just playing it out and kind of see where things goes and then make my decision on what I want to do. We just did a one-year deal, so it’s something that we’ve already talked about. I want to do it if I feel we can keep improving. That’s what I came over to LFR—Leavine—was to help improve. To help be a part of that. They have a really good group of guys who want to improve, that are putting a big effort in. We’ve lost a few throughout the season and that, in my opinion, hurts our team overall. We have to keep the people and keep building it. But if we’re improving and have a shot in the future to win at this level, then I want to be a part of that.” But if LFR becomes a Toyota team, will Kahne remain their top choice? The 95 car has been rumored to be a destination for Daniel Hemric. Another scenario has Daniel Suarez moving to the 95 should Joe Gibbs Racing need to make room for Truex.