The Kyle Busch Motorsports race shop in Mooresville, North CarolinaKyle Busch Motorsports in Mooresville
KBM was founded after Busch purchased the remaining assets of Xpress Motorsports from J.B. Scott (father of driver Brian Scott) in late 2009 as well as purchasing trucks from Roush Fenway Racing, which had closed its Truck team the previous year. Rick Ren, the crew chief on Ron Hornaday Jr.'s 2009 championship team, would be signed as the team's competition director. Busch had competed in the Truck Series for the 2008 and 2009 seasons in the No. 51 for Billy Ballew Motorsports with Miccosukee Indian Gaming as his primary sponsor, and had split the ride with Brian Ickler the previous year.[1]
Busch brought Ickler to the KBM stable, and signed Tayler Malsam away from Randy Moss Motorsports after he finished second in series Rookie of the Year standings to former Cup and Busch/Nationwide driver Johnny Sauter. The team ambitiously planned to run three trucks in its debut season: Busch and Ickler would split the primary truck (No. 18), Malsam was to drive a second truck for KBM, the No. 56 ActivWater/Talking Rain Tundra, and a third was to be fielded for 2008 series champion Johnny Benson if sponsorship could be found. The Miccosukee sponsorship was to carry over to Busch's primary truck as part of an agreement with Phoenix Racing.[1] On February 7, however, the Miccosukee tribe's new leadership pulled out of NASCAR altogether, leaving Busch's team and Phoenix's Cup and Nationwide series teams without sponsorship.[2] Benson would also be limited to a part-time schedule with KBM and Ballew,[3] and Malsam's team ceased operations after only seven races.[2][4]
After operating out of the former Xpress shop for most of its first season, the team opened its new $10 million facility in Mooresville, North Carolina on October 14, 2010.[5][6]
In 2011, KBM made its first foray into the then-Nationwide Series (now NASCAR Xfinity Series) in conjunction with NEMCO Motorsports.[7] The team moved to full-time in 2012. On November 16, 2013, Busch announced that the team will not race in the Nationwide Series in 2014 due to lack of funding.[8]
In December 2014, former competition director Rick Ren (released after 2013) filed a lawsuit against the team for breach of contract, claiming the team failed to pay him a contractual bonus and 10% commissions for two sponsorship deals Ren claimed to have procured for the team, totaling US$355,000. The sponsorships in question – Central Kentucky Angus Sales for driver Parker Kligerman and Sabala Whitetail for driver Brian Scott (owned by Scott's father J. B. Scott) – had prior associations with the drivers.[9]
On January 25, 2021, Busch announced the team's late model program would be temporarily shut down in order to better manage his other obligations, though he did not rule out the possibility of a revival in the future.[10]
After JGR and Toyota failed to secure a replacement for Busch's departing primary sponsor Mars, Incorporated after 2022, it was reported that Busch would depart from the team and manufacturer after 15 seasons. On September 13, 2022, Busch announced that he had signed with Richard Childress Racing to drive the No. 8 in the Cup Series in 2023, returning to Chevrolet for the first time since 2007.[12] On November 4, 2022, KBM announced that Chase Purdy would pilot the No. 4 full-time in a multi-year deal beginning in 2023, the No. 51 would be shared by Busch, Jack Wood, and other TBA drivers, and a technical partnership with Rev Racing as they expanded into the Truck Series with 2022 ARCA Menards Series Champion Nick Sanchez piloting the No. 2 Chevrolet.
On September 27, 2023, it was announced that Spire Motorsports had purchased the assets of KBM, and that they would suspend their operations at the conclusion of the season, along with Busch's manufacturing company, Rowdy Manufacturing.[13]
In February 2024, KBM sued Rev Racing for breach of contract. The lawsuit states that KBM was owed US$325,000 for bringing Nick Sanchez into the Truck Series.[14]
For 2012, KBM added a full-time Nationwide team, the No. 54 Toyota Camry. The car was split by both Kyle Busch and older brother Kurt, both with sponsorship from Monster Energy.[16] Kyle ran 22 races while Kurt ran 11. The team struggled in its initial year, winning only one race with Kurt at Richmond.[17] This was the first time in his Nationwide Series career that Kyle Busch did not score a victory over the course of a season, leading him to return to Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide program for 2013, bringing the No. 54 Toyota Camry and Monster Energy with him.[11]
For 2013, 22-year-old Parker Kligerman, a former development driver for Team Penske, was signed to run his first full Nationwide Series schedule in the No. 77 Toyota Camry, with sponsorship from Toyota and Bandit Chippers.[17] Despite finishing 9th in the standings, owner Busch announced after the Ford EcoBoost 300 that he would be shutting down the Nationwide team due to a lack of funding.[8]
The No. 4 Truck Began in 2015. Erik Jones began running a third KBM truck full-time after running the No. 51 part-time in 2013 and 2014. In December 2014, it was announced that the truck would be number 4.[18][19] Jones would have his best season with collecting 3 wins, 11 top-five and 20 top-ten finishes to win the championship title. Jones also collected rookie of the year honors. This would be the first driver's championship at KBM and the third consecutive owner's title.
Christopher Bell (2016–2017)
Christopher Bell moved into the truck full-time for 2016.[20] Bell was involved in a violent crash near the end of the season opener at Daytona. His truck gripped the track, causing the truck to go on two wheels before it launched into the air and barrel-rolled multiple times. He was credited with a 16th-place finish. He would finish the season with one win at Gateway and a 3rd-place points finish.[21] Bell returned to the truck in 2017 and won the NCWTS Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Todd Gilliland (2018–2019)
For 2018, KBM announced that Todd Gilliland would compete for Rookie of the Year honors driving the No. 4 truck for 19 races. Gilliland missed the first four of the season due to age restrictions; his father David Gilliland would drive at the season opener at Daytona and owner Kyle Busch would drive at Atlanta and Kansas. Spencer Davis raced at Las Vegas. Gilliland ran the full 2019 Truck season and won at Martinsville,[22] but was replaced by Raphaël Lessard in 2020.[23]
Raphaël Lessard (2020)
In 2020, Raphaël Lessard was tabbed to drive the 4 full time. Although he won at Talladega, his results did not allow him to keep his ride and was released from the team following the 2020 season.
In 2021, Lessard was released and replaced with John Hunter Nemechek, who drove the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford in his rookie season in the Cup Series in 2020 but decided to leave FRM to return to the Truck Series full-time, which he previously did in 2016 and 2017 in the No. 8 truck for his family team, NEMCO Motorsports, and won four races in those two years.[24] Lessard ended up going to GMS Racing, where he would sign to drive at least 12 races for the team with hopes of a full season, depending on sponsorship. Nemechek won 5 races in 2021 and finished 4th in points. He then signed a contract extension through 2022. Nemechek will not return to the team in 2023 due to Kyle Busch Motorsports switching from Toyota to Chevrolet, as Nemechek has a contract with Toyota and not the team.[25]
Chase Purdy will pilot the No. 4 full time in KBM’s first season with Chevrolet. On April 6, the No. 4 was docked 10 driver and owner points for illegal modifications of the engine oil reservoir tank prior to the Texas race.[26]
Byron drove the No. 9 truck full-time in 2016.[20] In his thirteenth career start, at Pocono, Byron scored his fifth win of the season, breaking Kurt Busch's old record for wins by a rookie Truck Series driver, with nearly half the season left to go.[31] Byron would continue to win collecting a 6th win at New Hampshire in the first race of the chase for the championship. The team suffered an engine failure with ten laps to go at the last race of the Round of 6 at Phoenix after Byron led a majority of the race, costing him his shot at the Driver's Championship. However, Byron won the season finale at Homestead and Kyle Busch Motorsports collected the Owner's Championship for Truck No. 9 in 2016. This was Kyle Busch Motorsports' fourth-consecutive and fifth all-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner's Championship.
The No. 18 truck (Kyle Busch's Sprint Cup Series number), the primary entry of KBM during their debut 2010 season, with Kyle Busch running a partial schedule and Brian Ickler running non-companion races.[1] The team would lose its Miccosukee sponsorship prior to the season,[2] replaced by Toyota, M&M's, Interstate Batteries, Dollar General, and Traxxas. In the first seven races of the season, Busch made five starts and won twice, while Ickler finished in the top ten both of his starts. KBM lost Ickler in May when he was signed by Roush Fenway Racing to drive its No. 6 and No. 16 Nationwide Series cars on a part-time basis as part of an extended tryout with the organization. Busch announced shortly thereafter that he would split the driving duties of the No. 18 with Johnny Benson for the remainder of the year. Kyle Busch won 8 races in 16 starts, and the No. 18 truck won the owners championship in its first full-time season.
Both Ickler and Busch returned for 2011, with Kyle running 16 races and Ickler running 4. Kasey Kahne drove a single race for the No. 18 with sponsorship from Automotive Service Excellence, winning at Darlington. Josh Richards drove two races with Joy Mining Equipment. Kyle Busch scored 6 wins over the course of the season and the 18 truck finished second in the owners championship to the Kevin Harvick Incorporated No. 2 truck.[36]
For 2012, veteran Jason Leffler was signed to be the primary driver of the No. 18 Toyota Tundra. The team secured sponsorship from Dollar General for 14 races.[37] After nine starts and with a lone top-five finish to his credit, Leffler was released.[38] Finishing the season in the truck were Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Brian Scott (five races), Denny Hamlin, Drew Herring, and Kyle Busch (3 races), along with Kurt Busch.[38] Kyle Busch had previously abstained from driving in the Truck Series per a request from JGR co-owner J.D. Gibbs, following an incident the previous season.[39] Hamlin and Scott scored the team's only wins of the season at Martinsville and Phoenix. Kyle Busch didn't win a race for the first time in his Camping World Truck Series career.
Joey Coulter (2013)
For 2013, Busch hired former Richard Childress Racing driver Joey Coulter to drive the No. 18.[17][40] Coulter and Busch had a previous on-track altercation in 2011, leading to a physical encounter between Busch and team owner Richard Childress.[41] Coulter struggled, with only five top tens and a 15th-place points finish. With Coulter moving to GMS Racing, the No. 18 team did not run in 2014 and 2015.[42]
Multiple drivers (2016)
In late 2015, KBM announced that Cody Coughlin would pilot the No. 18 JEGS.com Toyota Tundra part-time for the 2016.[20] Coughlin ran the 18 in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. Harrison Burton made his Truck Series debut in the No. 18 at Martinsville Speedway.[43]Kyle Busch returned to the No. 18 Truck for 4 races at Martinsville, Charlotte, Kentucky and Chicagoland. Busch won the races at Martinsville and Chicagoland. Noah Gragson ran the final 2 races of the year in the Phoenix and Homestead with sponsorship from SPEEDVEGAS. For the final 2 races of the season, the trucks were prepped by Wauters Motorsports.
It was announced in October 2016 that Noah Gragson was signed to drive the No. 18 full-time in 2017, and that he would compete for Rookie of the Year honors.[44] Gragson missed the playoffs but scored his first win at the fall Martinsville race. Gragson finished 10th in points, second highest of the non playoff drivers.
Harrison Burton (2019)
In 2019, Harrison Burton piloted the truck full-time, replacing Gragson who moved to the Xfinity Series and JR Motorsports. Burton did not win a race and finished 12th in points.[45]
Christian Eckes (2020)
When Burton was promoted to Xfinity racing in 2020,[46]Christian Eckes took over the No. 18.[47] Eckes also went winless, finishing 8th in points.
In 2021, Eckes was released and replaced with Chandler Smith, who drove the Nos. 46 and 51 part-time for the previous two seasons, and competed for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series, where he racked up nine wins in three part-time seasons. Smith won two races in 2021, but inconsistency led him to an eighth place points finish.
Smith began the 2022 season with a 21st place finish at Daytona. He scored wins at Las Vegas and Pocono to make the playoffs. During the playoffs, he won at Richmond and stayed consistent enough to make the Championship 4. Smith finished third at Phoenix and third in the standings.[48]
In 2017, KBM formed the No. 46 team with sponsorship from Pedigree Petfoods and Banfield Pet Hospital. Todd Gilliland drove the No. 46 with Pedigree sponsorship at Dover and Martinsville, scoring a top 5 at Martinsville, finishing 5th, while Kyle Busch drove the Banfield-sponsored No. 46 at Kentucky and Bristol, winning at the latter.[50] The team returned in 2018 with Brandon Jones at Charlotte and Riley Herbst at the second Las Vegas race. The team also returned in 2019, with drivers such as Raphaël Lessard, Riley Herbst, and Chandler Smith.
The No. 51 was previously used by Busch at Billy Ballew Motorsports, a reverse of the team's No. 15 and a tribute to both the late Bobby Hamilton and the film Days of Thunder. In 2011, NASCAR Corona Series champion Germán Quiroga made his first Truck Series start in the No. 51 with Telcel as a sponsor at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the New England 175. Quiroga finished a solid 16th, but 3 laps down. He would run the truck again in the season finale at Homestead, finishing 26th. Josh Richards ran four races in the No. 51 with Joy Mining Equipment, scoring a best finish of 13th at Talladega.
In 2014, Kyle Busch and Erik Jones split the No. 51 truck, with Busch driving 10 races and Jones driving 12 races. Eric Phillips served as the crew chief.[53]Dollar General sponsored the truck at Kentucky, Bristol, and Chicagoland with Busch driving and at Phoenix with Jones driving.[54] Busch won the season-opener at Daytona along with his next four starts in the No. 51 truck at Kansas, Charlotte, Dover, and Kentucky. Erik Jones won at Iowa, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The team won its second consecutive owner's championship, with 10 wins among the two drivers.
For 2016, Suárez split the ride with Cody Coughlin, with the two drivers slated to contest a minimum of 10 races each.[20] Suárez collected his first truck win in the 51 at Phoenix late in the season.
In 2017, it was announced that multiple drivers would run the full schedule. Owner Kyle Busch ran five races with Textron Aviation as the primary sponsor.[57] It was later announced that Harrison Burton would run six races and Todd Gilliland in four.[58][59]Myatt Snider contested eight races with Louisiana Hot Sauce as the primary sponsor.[60] Busch won at Kansas and Charlotte in the truck, while Gilliland put up impressive numbers in his starts, posting a top 5 at Loudon and two top tens. Burton scored a top 5 in his last race in the truck at Martinsville, and Snider collected three top 10s in his eight starts.
KBM announced that the No. 51 would return running the full schedule with multiple drivers again in 2018. Burton returned for nine races, and owner Busch for three races. Spencer Davis was added to the team for four races, and Brandon Jones, a JGR Xfinity driver, was also added for four races, and Riley Herbst joined the team for his debut at Gateway Motorsports Park. David Gilliland was also a driver for Talladega. In 2020, the truck ran full-time with drivers Kyle Busch, Chandler Smith, Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones, and Alex Tagliani. Jones picked up his first career Truck Series win at Pocono, beating eventual champion Sheldon Creed. In 2021, the truck was split between Busch, Drew Dollar, Corey Heim, Brian Brown, Parker Chase and Martin Truex Jr. Brown, Dollar, Chase, and Heim were all making their series debuts. Busch won at Atlanta and Truex won at Bristol Dirt.
The No. 51 would run the full season again in 2022, with Corey Heim running most of the races, winning 2 so far, Kyle Busch ran 5 and won at Sonoma Raceway. Buddy Kofoid would also run 2 dirt events at Bristol Motor Speedway and Knoxville Raceway.
For the team's first season with Chevrolet, the No. 51 will return as the multi-driver truck in 2023 with Busch running five races and Jack Wood running a minimum of 10 races. Busch scored a win at Las Vegas.[61] On April 6, the No. 51 was docked 10 driver and owner points for illegal modifications of the engine oil reservoir tank prior to the Texas race.[26] Busch scored the team's 100th win at Pocono.[62]
In 2014, Wallace ran his second full-time season in the No. 54. In June, Wallace won the Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park. Three weeks later, he battled Kyle Larson and Ron Hornaday Jr. for the win at Eldora Speedway. Wallace Jr. held off a hard charging Larson, who wrecked his car trying to catch him, and beat Hornaday by a 5.489-second margin to win the second annual Mudsummer Classic.[64] Wallace switched to the No. 34 for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville in tribute to Wendell Scott,[65] and led the most laps en route to his second straight victory in the race. Wallace won his final race with KBM, the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway, beating Larson again to earn his first non-short track victory.[66] Wallace's four wins along with nine top fives and 14 top tens led to a third-place finish in points.[63]
Multiple Drivers (2015)
Former ARCA Racing Series rookie of the year and Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Justin Boston signed to run the full 2015 season in the No. 54.[19][67] After nine races and while sitting 12th in the points standings, Boston left the team.[28] Initial reports stated that Boston and KBM parted ways due to lack of performance and requests for internal changes by Boston not being met.[28] A later report, however, stated that KBM released Boston due to sponsor Zloop breaching its agreement with the team. The company had initially signed on to be the primary sponsor, but only appeared in two races.[67][68] KBM would later sue Boston and Zloop (owned by Boston's father) for $4.025 million in defaulted payments.[69][70] Boston was replaced by Toyota development driver Christopher Bell at Kentucky,[28] where he was involved in a crash. In his next start, however, Bell battled with rookie Bobby Pierce at Eldora Speedway and won the race after a Green White Checkered finish. It was the second consecutive Eldora win for the No. 54 team.[71][72]Matt Tifft drove the truck at Pocono, finishing eighth. JGR development driver Cody Coughlin was signed to drive the truck at Michigan, with backing from family sponsor JEGS.[73]Kyle Busch drove the 54 at Bristol. Gray Gaulding drove the No. 54 in three races, with sponsorship from Krispy Kreme.[74]
The 2010 season started with Tayler Malsam in the No. 56 Toyota Tundra. Early in the season after seven races, it was announced that Malsam was signed by Braun Racing to take over in their No. 10 Toyota in the Nationwide Series. With no driver or sponsorship, the No. 56 team shut down immediately.[2]
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