Kyle Busch reflects on Truck Series result after selling KBM, following a challenging Craftsman Truck Series run at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the familiar dominance was missing. Competing for Spire Motorsports, now the owner of his former powerhouse team, Busch candidly addressed his mixed emotions after finishing fifth on Friday night in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Transitioning from Ownership to a New Role at Spire Motorsports
Kyle Busch, a longtime star in NASCAR’s ranks, made his latest Truck Series appearance driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado under Spire Motorsports, the organization that acquired Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in 2023. With high hopes and strong pace early in the race, Busch kept himself in contention, going so far as to secure third place by the end of Stage 2. However, a crucial pit stop midway through the event cost him valuable track position, making it difficult to chase down the leaders as the race unfolded.
Despite two decades of experience and a championship pedigree, Busch ran out of time and options, ultimately settling for a fifth-place finish, trailing competitors Corey Heim, Ross Chastain, Kaden Honeycutt, and Layne Riggs. For a racer accustomed to fighting for wins and used to the top step, fifth place did not satisfy the hunger he built during his years as KBM’s owner-driver.
Post-Race Reflections and Disappointment
Busch did not hold back when reflecting on the race, giving insight into his performance compared to previous years with KBM. In his interview with Peter Stratta, he explained:
“Yeah, I mean, I think middle of the race was pretty good, but, you know, there at the end we were just all kind of stretched out. So, I wasn’t able to get those guys.”
—Kyle Busch, Driver
His words also highlighted the subtle feeling of something missing this time around, emphasizing the gap he noticed after switching organizations:
“I didn’t quite have the fireball I’m used to having with the KBM trucks”
—Kyle Busch, Driver
Acknowledging the pivotal pit road moment, Busch added:
“I got beat off pit road and just couldn’t get back to them. But overall, you know, just lacking a little bit of overall speed. Just didn’t have that raw fireball that I’m used to with the KBM trucks,”
—Kyle Busch, Driver
A Legacy in Transition and the Impact of Change
Busch’s comments come a year after he sold KBM to Spire Motorsports, ending an era that saw the team rack up more than 100 Truck Series wins and foster the early careers of drivers like Christopher Bell, Erik Jones, and William Byron. The adjustment to a new team culture and the evolving partnership with Spire Motorsports remains ongoing, and the recent result suggests that recreating the prior team’s overwhelming dominance is not a simple process.
While still remaining competitive and bringing excitement to Charlotte Motor Speedway and the NASCAR Truck Series, Kyle Busch’s subdued fifth-place finish and conflicted reflections indicate that transitions―even for proven champions―present unique challenges. With accomplished rivals such as Ross Chastain and Corey Heim and rising talents like Kaden Honeycutt, Busch and Spire Motorsports face the task of regrouping and striving for the level of performance that once defined KBM. As the transition continues, Busch’s legacy as both a driver and a team builder remains a major storyline in NASCAR’s ongoing history, with the spotlight now on whether this new chapter can reach the heights of past glories.
