By alley - Sep 6, 2016, 12:16 PM ET

INDYCAR: Andretti working to keep Munoz

Carlos Munoz has the kind of speed and experience that makes him an invaluable member of Andretti Autosport's IndyCar driver rotation, and if team owner Michael Andretti can find the one thing he's missing – a budget for 2017 – the Colombian will return.

"Every year he just gets better and better," Andretti told RACER. "We're working on it. Budget is always it. We're working on some things. There's a good possibility he'll be with us. We should know something by the end of the month."

At 24 years old, Munoz has amassed considerable IndyCar experience since making his Indy 500 debut in 2013. He'll complete his third season at Sonoma, has a pair of second-place finishes at the Indy 500, a win last year at the first round of the Detroit doubleheader and holds eighth in the championship – best among the Andretti drivers – with one race left to run.

Munoz expressed his interest in returning to Andretti Autosport

in an interview with RACER in July

, and acknowledged the budget deficit that has placed his long-term future in question.

If there's been a knock on the talented young Colombian, it's been the relative lack of commercial support Andretti Autosport has been able to generate for his No. 26 Honda.

"I know they need to find sponsors for some cars," he said. "Sponsorship is really tough to find in Colombia, so it's complicated. And there are a lot of rumors on drivers and where they will go, so we will talk to other teams to see what they are doing. I feel really good about my driving this year. It's me and [Ryan] Hunter-Reay, we are always very close and he is one of the top guys in the series so this is very encouraging for me. I wish I can say I will be there next year, but I do not know if this will happen right now."

Other than the steady presence of family-affiliated sponsor Pint Pharma on the engine cover and rear wing since he joined the team in 2014, Munoz's car has often lacked the volume of sponsors found on the entries driven by Marco Andretti and Hunter-Reay, which would need to be rectified before a new contract is offered.

In need of a strong close to the season, Munoz is only one point behind Graham Rahal in the championship and could vault closer to the top five in the final standings if he has a banner day in Sonoma on Sept. 18.