The landscape of the Craftsman Truck Series has just taken a major turn with the announcement that Kyle Busch has sold his entire Kyle Busch Motorsports operation to Spire Motorsports.
The sale includes Kyle Busch Motorsports, Rowdy Manufacturing – the chassis building operation and machine shop -, and the 77,000 square foot shop in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Neither KBM nor Busch gave details on the cost of the transaction or on Busch’s plans for the future.
Busch spoke on his decision via a team press release saying, “when we started the Truck Series 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 of the drivers that I once mentored at KBM. I owe a lot of gratitude to so many people, starting with Amanda and my family we’re leaving in this dream that I had. It took countless hours by so many amazing people to make KBM the winningest team in Truck Series history. I will always appreciate everyone that walked through the doors and gave their all to make this such a successful organization.”
In their 14 year history, KBM has racked up 100 race wins with team owner Kyle Busch crossing the finish line first for 48 of them. He also has over 60 Cup Series wins and holds the record for most wins in the Xfinity Series with 102 wins.
Among those drivers that have driven for Kyle Busch are Erik Jones, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Daniel Suárez, Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland. Jones and Bell went on to win the championship while driving for KBM. Jack Wood currently drives the number four KBM truck; while Chase Purdy and John Hunter Nemechek can also be counted as former drivers for the two time Cup Series champion.
Previously a three truck team, KBM dropped to just two entries – a full time ride for Chase Purdy and a part time multiple driver truck number 51 – when KBM moved from a Toyota in years past to a Chevrolet this season after Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing for Richard Childress Racing.
Spire Motorsports currently fields two Cup Series cars driven by Corey LaJoie and Ty Dillon.