CONCORD, N.C. -- Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing have experienced capturing a championship together. Now they want to experience that winning feeling again, but on a higher level.

With that in mind, team owner Joe Gibbs and his son, JGR president J.D. Gibbs, announced Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that they had signed their mercurial young driver to a long-term contract extension. No one was saying exactly how long the deal is, but J.D. Gibbs confirmed it was a "multi-year deal for less than seven and more than three" years, leading everyone to believe it would keep the band together for at least the next four years and possibly six.

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• Busch talks about his new contract with JGR

Their goal is clear. After winning last year's Nationwide Series championship in a JGR car, ownership and driver alike expect Busch to compete for and win his first Sprint Cup title sooner rather than later.

Busch admitted that it will not be easy. But he said he believes he is up to the task in the No. 18 Toyota he drives for JGR.

"That's everybody's goal," Busch said. "That's all everybody's going to be saying over the next few weeks -- that they want to win a championship. But how many championships can we hand out at the end of a season? There's only one -- so you've got to earn it.

"And there is no one more determined than I am."

The Feb. 14 Daytona 500 that marks the beginning of the 2010 Sprint Cup season is less than a month away, and it was obvious Monday that Joe Gibbs is relieved to have his organization lock up Busch for the long haul.

"I think if the driver is willing to sign on with you, and you're willing to commit to him, and the sponsor is excited about it ... that says a lot," Gibbs said. "That says you're all on one page. We're not worried about a contract now. We're thinking only, 'Let's go be the best race team we can be.'

"I thought it was important for us and for Kyle and for Mars [the primary sponsor on Busch's car]. We've got a good team feeling with everybody there. I'm excited about where we can go with Kyle."

Though he's only 24, Busch is about to embark on his sixth full-time Cup season. He spent his first three full-time seasons (and six races of another) with Hendrick Motorsports, but was forced out there following the 2007 season to make room for Hendrick's signing of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In the past two seasons with JGR, Busch has won a total of 12 Cup races -- including eight in 2008 when he led the point standings for much of the year. But he faded to 10th in the final standings that year and failed to make the Chase last year despite winning four races, falling eight points short of the 12-driver cutoff after the first 26 races. (Continued)