NASCAR driver Kurt Busch today said that he signed a "multi-year deal" to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing beginning next season, according to Lee Spencer of FOXSPORTS.com. Busch currently drives for Furniture Row Racing (FOXSPORTS.com, 8/26). ESPN's David Newton reported that Busch "will be sponsored by Haas Automation" for the '14 season. SHR co-Owner Gene Haas on Saturday said that he wants Busch "in one of his cars because he wants to take his non-racing company's name to Victory Lane." Haas said, "I'd really be happy for my company Haas to be in the winner's circle. I've never been there. I want to be there with that name. I know Kurt has had a lot of sponsorship issues, but to me, I just want to win. I'm not too much worried about that stuff." Haas and Busch "began talking about the possibility of him coming to SHR last month during a General Motors dinner in Indianapolis." SHR not long after "offered Busch a contract to expand the organization to four teams" with drivers Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick and SHR co-Owner and driver Tony Stewart. That offer came "about a month after Stewart announced Ryan Newman would not return to SHR in 2014 because the organization didn't have sponsorship or funding to expand to four teams." Haas: "Tony was looking at it from a business standpoint ... you've got to have sponsors, you've got to have this, you've got to have that. Tony is a smart business man. He was concerned can we afford to do this." Haas added, "The deal with Kurt Busch ... it's all on me" (ESPN.com, 8/24).
