HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Brendan Gaughan said Saturday he still doesn't know what his Nextel Cup future is, but sounded as if he won't be back with Penske Racing.

Gaughan drives the No. 77 Dodge, and Penske officials have said they were still deciding if they would bring him back for a second season.

Heading into the finale, he is 28th in points standings with one top five and three top 10s.

"I don't know what is going on yet. I have some plans, and no matter what I do, I'm going to be back running some truck races for my Orleans team," he said.

"I could say yes to a lot of things, and I could say no to a lot of things. I think most other drivers are not in that position."

Gaughan's family is big in the Las Vegas gaming industry, founding the The Orleans hotel and casino, so Gaughan can be choosy with his job offers.

"I'm not here for the money part of this sport," he said. "I want to be a racecar driver. This is a desire, not a need."