Kyle Busch Addresses KBM’s Cup Series Potential

Getty Kyle Busch prepares for the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Kyle Busch founded Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2010, creating what would turn into a Camping World Truck Series juggernaut. KBM has captured seven owner’s championships, but the NASCAR driver-owner has no plans to take this success to other series. Busch shut down the possibility that he would pursue a Cup Series charter with KBM.

Busch addressed the issue during a media availability at Nashville Superspeedway that Heavy attended. He told the assembled outlets that crew chief Eric Phillips and Truck Series driver John Hunter Nemechek are both good enough to make a Cup car work, but he also explained that the financial side currently stands in the way.

“I think it’s going to be a bit expensive the first couple of years for sure, but it might then start to equal out and be okay in the long run,” Busch said, per NBC Sports. “I guess if this was back in 2012, 2013 and when I had the Monster [Energy] opportunity, then I would say, hell yeah. It makes sense to do it because you’ve got the upfront money. The only way to do it right is to get a charter, get some of that guaranteed income, and stuff like that.

“I’ve not even looked into it, so I don’t know if there is any kind of charter stuff available or what not, but where we are at and what we are doing now – we’re in a good spot with the truck stuff,” Busch added. “We are leaders of the [Toyota Racing Development] driver development program and the beginning of that. I say the beginning – we are the beginning of Truck on up. It’s probably just not going to happen.”

The 2022 Season Will Feature Multiple New Cup Teams

GettyKaulig Racing’s Justin Haley prepares for an Xfinity Series race at Nashville.

While Busch and KBM will not make the leap to Cup in 2022, multiple other teams will set out to pursue spots in the playoffs. Kaulig Racing announced during the Nashville weekend that it had purchased charters from Spire Motorsports and would run two Cup teams in 2022.

Similarly, Truck Series team GMS Racing also announced in mid-June that it would compete in Cup. However, the championship-winning organization did not specify whether this team would run a full-time or part-time schedule.

These two new teams will join three others with slightly more experience. 23XI Racing, Trackhouse Racing, and Live Fast Motorsports are all currently in their first seasons and are examining how to build for the future. 23XI and Trackhouse, in particular, are both planning on adding a second driver for the 2022 season.

KBM Remains the Championship Favorite for 2021

GettyKyle Busch and John Hunter Nemechek talk prior to a Truck Series race.

While Busch and his team may not have plans for a Cup Series future, they do remain focused on adding another championship trophy to the collection. The team currently leads the Truck Series standings after a strong start to the season. Nemechek is first in points after winning four races and eight stages.

Busch, on the other hand, posted two wins in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra and then finished second to Nemechek two other times. Now he will return to the Truck Series for one more race on Saturday, June 26

The winningest driver in the Truck Series will compete at Pocono Raceway, a track where he has previous success. Busch is the only multiple-time winner at the Tricky Triangle with trips to Victory Lane in 2015 and 2018. He is also the only driver in the field with a previous win at Pocono Raceway.

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