Kurt Busch leaves NASCAR fans guessing. Ready to retire?

Two days before the Daytona 500, Kurt Busch released a cinematic short that blew the budget, had a Vanilla Ice appearance, and hinted at his NASCAR retirement.

The 2004 NASCAR Cup winner hasn’t said whether he’ll retire at the end of the season.

“If you’re asking me if this is a retirement video, I’m leaving it open for interpretation,” Busch told The Associated Press on Saturday. “There’s subliminal messaging everywhere. It’s a reflection of my career, of winning.”

The “Shifting Gears” video is dripping with clues that Busch, 42, has considered retiring at the end of this season. He’s been with Chip Ganassi Racing for the past two seasons, and his contract expires at the end of the season.

In the video, Busch takes a call from Tampa Bay Buccaneers star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who came out of retirement last week to win his fourth Super Bowl and implored the driver not to retire.

“Is retirement for me? Am I ready to retire? I won it all. I’ve done it all,” Busch narrates in the video. “I’m so very satisfied.”

Joey Logano Shirt Hoodie Racing Uniform Clothes Nascar

Busch is seen boarding a private jet and flying off into the sunset in one of the final shots.

“It’s all said and done. Put a stamp on it. I’m out,” he said.

Busch has 32 career victories and last won a race in his hometown of Las Vegas in September, qualifying him for the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs. Busch also got a chance to test NASCAR’s Next Gen car, which will make its debut next year.

Will he stick with Ganassi for the race?

“We’re talking,” Busch said. “We’re talking with Chevrolet and we’re talking with Monster.”

The 9-minute video was produced in partnership with Monster Energy, the race team’s sponsor, and it required working with Florida tourism bureaus to close bridges and working with the highway patrol to race down empty streets. He raced over the historic Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys in a car he had raced at Michigan Speedway, reaching speeds of over 200 mph.

“Who gets to go and take a NASCAR car to Key West at 200 mph,” Busch asked. “I was told the budget and then I chipped in to get a quality engine from Hendrick. Ganassi put the car together for me.”

Busch even contributed to the script, including a scene with Fox Sports NASCAR announcer Michael Waltrip called “breaking news.” When Busch won the 2017 Daytona 500, Gronkowski partied in victory lane, and the fellow Monster athlete says, “Don’t do it, man!” Don’t retire!” Busch lives in South Florida near Vanilla Ice, the rapper known for the song “Ice, Ice, Baby,” who pulls up near the Chevy and is covered in smoke after a burnout.

“The acting isn’t all that great,” Busch said, laughing.

Kevin Harvick Shirt Hoodie Racing Uniform Clothes Nascar

It was unclear whether this was a true retirement video, a marketing trick for the energy drink, or even a contract negotiation tactic. Regardless of the outcome, Busch has yet to decide when he would stop racing. He finished sixth in the 2014 Indianapolis 500, has raced twice in the Rolex 24, and is pursuing the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Baja 1000.

Busch will start 20th in the Daytona 500 on Sunday in the No. 1 Chevrolet, which could be his final race.

“I don’t have answers on the NASCAR future,” he said.

The uniforms of NASCAR racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price:

Kurt Busch Shirt Hoodie Racing Uniform Clothes Nascar