Around this time last year, Kyle Busch won his last Cup Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park. Nevertheless, almost twelve months later, a staggering 36-race winless streak awaits Rowdy at this year’s Enjoy Illinois 300, set to go green at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
In the face of avoidable disrespect, courtesy of fan outcry at KFB’s below-average performances and a certain incident involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr, many seem to forget the incredible career of a two-time NASCAR champion driver. But even more have since disregarded Kyle Busch, the ex-team owner who led his self-titled ‘Kyle Busch Motorsports’ (KBM) to championship glory twice in the Truck Series.
Kyle Busch breathes easier without KBM’s “distraction”
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As some important developments inside the family make the sophomore Richard Childress driver excited for his future fortunes, his race team, which has since been acquired for upwards of $14.5 million by Spire Motorsports, is the last thing crossing his mind before defending the crown on June 2nd at the WWT Raceway.
Before the Stewart-Haas charter sale shook the NASCAR nation only this past week, news of Jeff Dickerson and TJ Puchyr-owned Spire Motorsports securing a double deal back in September left the industry spiraling for answers ahead of the 2024 season. A record 40-million-dollar sale of BJ McLeod’s solitary charter held by Live Fast Motors sent the silly season spinning into high gear, with Spire gaining that spot to field a car, effective starting in the 2024 season.
Not even a month had passed, and the eight-year-old race team currently based in Mooresville, North Carolina, made headlines for taking over all operations from Kyle Busch’s 2015 & 2017 Truck Series-winning organization. As the man himself had told the world back then in official releases: “When we started the Truck Series team back in 2010, I never imagined that we would be able to win 100 races with 18 different drivers and that one day I’d be racing in the Cup Series alongside so many drivers I once mentored at KBM.”
Additionally, Kyle Busch Motorsports is the winningest Truck Series team with 100 race wins as of 2023. But those records only matter so much for Kyle Busch in the present picture. As per recent interviews with Bob Pockrass of FOX, the #8 driver declared he is better off without KBM serving as a “distraction.”
Busch continued on the bigger reasons, “It’s been a little bit weird, yeah. I still go over there occasionally to go in the shop and get fitted for a truck or something like that. But going over to [my son] Brexton’s shop — that’s KBM now. It is working through his race stuff, and my micro [sprint] program and whatever we do with that. So that’s been cool to have something different on the side to focus on a little bit — and not really worry about too much big stuff with 70 employees versus now just having three.”
As Busch explained, “You want to keep people happy. You want to keep people employed, and sometimes that weighs on you. And it’s been nice to not have as many to deal with.”
Pockrass and his guest’s final dialogue would clarify all doubts for those looking to derive double meanings, as the journalist probed, “Fewer fires to put out?” To which, Busch replied to conclude, “That too. My water bill has gone significantly down.”
What could be Rowdy’s next chapter?
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Busch’s dedication to his son’s budding racing career is heavily apparent. Many will remember the two-time champ’s earlier desires to share a Trucks entry with his son before retirement. That dream can still come true for Rowdy, considering his close association with Spire’s operations currently in the Series, which gifted the organization two race wins this season at Atlanta & Texas.
Although KFB was only announced for five race runs in 2024, his stellar displays, barring the DNF at his last outing in Darlington, warrant many such collaborations in the future. Add to that his son, Brexton Busch’s own incredible performances tearing up Sprint Car scenes at only a tender young age of 9, and his father’s dreams certainly look closer in the rearview. To add to your surprise, this week Brexton won another POWRi Jr Sprint car feature at Millbridge Speedway.
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But this coming weekend, his father will look forward to a stellar defense at Gateway in Illinois, similar to his son’s groundbreaking advances. A win has been in waiting for quite some time on the part of Kyle Busch in his 20th straight year racing in NASCAR’s premier division.
During all his full-time seasons, KFB has claimed at least one victory to show for his incredible stock-car pedigree. Surely this won’t be the year that streak finally puts itself to rest based on some average performances all across the board at Richard Childress Racing.