At Dover Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch performed what he does best in a vehicle. Win.
Busch won a record fifth NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship, his 13th overall, dominating Friday’s ECOSAVE 200 by leading 147 of the 200 laps in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet and sweeping both stage victories en route to a 3. 039-second triumph over former series champion, ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski.
After a well-deserved, deep bow to the throng at the finish line, a thankful Busch spoke of his affection for the high-banked circuit on which he will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series’ annual All-Star Race on Sunday. It was his 69th career triumph, a season-high, and his second in four races.
“You never know when the last one is,” Busch remarked about enjoying the triumph. “I know all too well, unfortunately, with the Cup stuff, but being a part of Spire Motorsports with the Truck stuff now is amazing.
“I’m sure it looked great out front, leading the race,” he remarked with a grin. “It wasn’t simply Kyle Larson who did it. It feels great to have another Kyle capable of doing it and placing us in victory lane. I adore visiting Dover; it’s always been one of my favorite race locations.
“Definitely some fuel management there, tire management there. It was an exciting strategic fight from the driver’s seat. Thank you to the spectators and everyone who came today.
“Overall, it takes a lot of great people behind you and with you,” he said of the Spire Motorsports crew. “It’s fun and I want to keep doing it. “
The only other driver to genuinely challenge Busch in the series’ return to Dover after a six-year hiatus was fellow NASCAR Cup Series regular, Ross Chastain, who led 49 laps but had to pit late in the race for fuel following a hard side-by-side struggle with Busch midway through the event.
Majeski worked hard to ensure that Busch earned his runner-up result fairly, matching his finest performance of the season. Layne Riggs of Front Row Motorsports came in third. Last week’s champion, TRICON Garage’s Kaden Honeycutt, finished fourth in the No. 11 Toyota after an outstanding comeback from an early pit stop penalty. Christopher Bell, a NASCAR Cup Series driver, finished in the top five.
Honeycutt’s performance on Friday gave him a 38-point lead over Riggs in the championship standings. Chandler Smith is third, 39 points distant.
Brandon Jones, Christian Eckes, Corey LaJoie, Jake Garcia, and Justin Haley completed the top ten. Clint Bowyer, a former NASCAR Cup Series racer who now works full-time in the FOX Sports NASCAR booth calling NASCAR Cup Series races, made a spot start for Kaulig Racing’s RAM truck program, finishing 29th after suffering a tire issue in the final laps.
“I had a lot of fun,” Bowyer said. “This is a terrific race track, a demanding race track, and it’s nice to see Kyle Busch in Victory Lane; NASCAR requires that, and it gives him so much confidence heading into tomorrow’s race and Sunday.
“Proud of being a part of this, and who knows, I might be a part of it again. “
The race was noteworthy for featuring three female drivers in the field, matching a high mark established in 2021.
Despite spinning out after 37 circuits, Dystany Spurlock became the first black woman to start a NASCAR national series race, and despite finishing 36th, she was inspired by her debut.
“Today is a fantastic day,” Spurlock remarked. “We did make history, which is wonderful. Of course I wanted to complete the race, but this is racing and these things occur. Just going to get ready for the next race. “
