Anotha One, Kyle Busch Makes It Look Easy at the Fr8 Truck Series

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Kyle Busch with a easy win at the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

It took a while, but surprising absolutely no one, Kyle Busch won today’s Fr8 208 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. It marked the 65th NASCAR Craftsman Truck series win for Busch, the most, by far, of any driver. Busch also has the most Xfinity Series wins, by far, with 102.

The NASCAR Truck Series, one rung below the NASCAR Xfinity Series, often sees older drivers and drivers who no longer have a legit shot at NASCAR Cup, striving to bring their best. But for “Rowdy” Busch, his history with the Truck Series, and his commitment to Spire Motorsport, were compelling enough reasons to take part.

Kyle Busch to Race in 5 NASCAR Truck Series Events

Expect Busch to add to his Truck Series record. In addition to this weekend’s Fr8 208, Busch has said he will run five Truck Series races in total this year. This includes the Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week, then Bristol, the Texas Motor Speedway, and Darlington Raceway in May. All with Spire.

Spire runs three NASCAR Cup Series teams, and two full-time NASCAR Truck Series teams. Late last year, Spire purchased the assets of Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), which competed in the Truck series and previously in the Xfinity series. KBM struggled for years to get and retain sponsors and partners. Consider Kyle Busch’s racing for Spire in the Truck series a favor. One that goes both ways.

A Commitment to KBM

Busch told NBC Sports that he always enjoys racing in the Truck Series. He aslo made it clear the other reasons. “A lot of the employees from KBM transitioned over to Spire.” Busch added that while “it’ll be a little bittersweet not having a KBM decal on the front of the truck and a 51 on the side, I know that I’ll be getting in the best equipment in the series.”

Kyle Busch is one of the most decorated drivers in NASCAR history. Record wins in the Truck Series and Xfinity Series, plus he’s a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. But at age 38, he no doubt knows the chances for more wins with the NASCAR Cup Series are getting fewer. Busch is 0-19 at the Daytona 500, and saw his legitimate chance at winning this year slip away late, a victim of the “Big One” melee. Truck wins probably feel especially good. And it’s probably doubly so for Busch knowing that even with the Spire team name on the front, not his, that’s still many of his people and much of his truck.

Jeff Dickerson, Spire Motorsports co-owner said, “Kyle Busch is a generational talent and I’ve been fortunate enough to witness so many of his accomplishments first hand. It means a lot to everyone at Spire Motorsports, including everyone who stayed after the sale (of KBM), to have Kyle in our truck this season. And, it means a great deal to me personally, for us to make this happen.”

The Fr8 208 Truck race was pure speed, pure driving, a fun race. But these aren’t just easy Truck Series wins for Busch. These are statements of what he’s built over the course of his career.

Brian S Hall covers motorsports for Heavy.com with a focus on NASCAR and F1. He has covered racing, autos, and technology for over 10 years, and co-hosts an F1 and racing podcast, “Hard Compound.” He resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan. More about Brian S Hall