Furniture Row admits second car in doubt for 2018

Furniture Row Racing will once again be a one-car operation next season if additional sponsorship doesn't materialize.

The organization currently fields the No. 78 of Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 77 of Erik Jones, but the status of the 77 is open for next season. Team owner Barney Visser told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio this week when it comes to drivers who are free agents, such as Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch, the team is "considering them all" for the ride. But as much as the organization would like to keep the car, it will not be around past its inaugural year if Visser can't find support.

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"We've got no sponsorship right now for the 77, so, we've got to find something," Visser admitted. "We don't want to give up that car but if we don't get sponsorship, we're going to have to. We're doing everything we can to get that to come together."

Furniture Row expanded to two cars this season when Jones moved into the series. Next year Jones goes in-house to Joe Gibbs Racing.

A single-car organization since its debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the expansion at Furniture Row has not slowed the team down. As Truex continues to excel, now having won eight races dating back to last season, Jones has been just as fast. The Rookie of the Year contender has seven top-10 finishes.

But the situation Furniture Row finds itself in is all part of the current economics of the sport in which teams are either downsizing or seemingly always looking for new partners. It's something Visser hopes to see improve going into next year.

"Well, I'd certainly like to see it better," he said of the health and business of NASCAR. "I'm sure if you can run up front you can deliver to the sponsors what you're promising them. [But] I don't even know how to answer that question. It's a pretty tough business right now."