Kyle Busch: Driver, No. 51 Cessna Toyota
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: ToyotaCare 250, Race 6 of 22, 250 Laps – 70/70/110; 187.5 Miles
Location: Richmond (Va.) Raceway (0.75-mile D-shaped oval)
Date/Broadcast: April 17, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
The Report on ‘Rowdy’:
Owner-driver Kyle Busch gets behind the wheel of the No. 51 Cessna Tundra Saturday for his third of five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2021. Busch claimed a dominant victory the last time he was in a truck, leading 102 of 130 laps at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. His other start this season was a runner-up finish to KBM driver John Hunter Nemechek at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March.
Busch, the winningest driver in series history, enters Saturday’s event having won 38.2% (60/157) of the Truck Series races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.1% (88/157). The talented wheelman in recent years had scored a victory at every active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series venue that he had made a start at, but with Richmond being added to the schedule this year, he will need to win on Saturday to keep that stat intact. He’s made two starts at Richmond (2001 and 2005), with a best finish of 22nd.
While he’s yet to score a Camping world Truck Series triumph at Richmond, the 35-year-old driver has captured six NASCAR Cup Series victories and six NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval.
Mardy Lindley is in his first season as a crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Lindley has guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley’s drivers compiled an average finish of 9.2 across four NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races, with a best result of sixth with Cameron Hayley in 2014.
After five events, the No. 51 is tied with KBM’s No. 4 team atop the Camping World Trucks owner standings. The No. 51 team has won the last two events on the schedule, with Martin Truex Jr. at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track and Busch at Atlanta. The team also leads the series with 223 laps led. As an organization, KBM drivers have combined to lead 68.6% (388/566) of the total laps this season.
‘Rowdy’ will also pilot the No. 51 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (May 1) and Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (June 26). Since Textron Aviation became a partner in 2017, Busch has recorded 13 victories, 1,468 laps led and an average finish of 5.3 in 22 starts with the Cessna and Beechcraft brands adorning his Tundra.
For more than 90 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability, and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. For more information, visit www.txtav.com
Rowdy Energy, the enhanced hydration formula energy drink created by Busch, and vendor partner Wawa will adorn the bedtop of the No. 51 Tundra for Saturday’s race. Wawa has over 900+ stores and is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services, surcharge-free ATMs and over 40 EV charging stations and counting. Rowdy Energy is currently available at Wawa locations throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
All three KBM Tundras will carry a special decal on the B post this week promoting Autism Awareness that includes the website address of NASCAR Sammy (NASCARSammy.com), an avid NASCAR fan and autism advocate. Fans can visit his site to purchase a decal and help support his mission.
Kyle Busch, Driver Q&A:
What has the addition of Mardy Lindley meant to Kyle Busch Motorsports?
“It’s been good. We’ve had a lot of great people at KBM and we continue to have great people at KBM. It’s ever evolving and the sport is always changing, you have to stay on top of things. When Rudy (Fugle) left we had a vacancy and we brought Mardy in to fill that and then we had another one and we brought in Eric Phillips, so I feel like we have a really strong group of guys right now. I feel like (Danny) Stockman is really good too, I was very successful with him last year. We are just working hard collectively to get better as an organization, and I feel like the results have been there so far this season with three wins with three different drivers across the first five races. We haven’t just won races; we’ve led a bunch of laps and won quite a few stages. The 4 truck has been really good this year and I feel like they will be contenders for the championship, we just need to build on the 18 some more.”
Kyle Busch Camping World Truck Series Career Highlights:
- Busch has a total of 157 Camping World Trucks starts and is ranked first all-time in wins (60) and average finish (6.7)
- The 35-year-old driver has won 38.2% (60/157) of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.1% (88/157).
- Busch has a total of 104 top-five and 125 top-10 finishes.
- Busch stands alone as the leader in all-time career wins in NASCAR’s national touring series with 213 total victories. He has earned 57 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 97 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and 60 NGROTS wins.
- In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NCWTS, NXS and NCS races at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top three series at one track on the same weekend. He then repeated the feat in August of 2017.
- Kyle Busch’s No. 51 Cessna Tundra:
- KBM-062: The No. 51 Cessna team will race KBM-062 for Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway. The Tundra made five starts last season with Raphael Lessard behind the wheel with a best result of fifth in the season finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
KBM Notes of Interest:
- Busch has a total of 157 Camping World Trucks starts and is ranked first all-time in wins (60) and average finish (6.7).
- The 35-year-old driver has won 38.2% (60/157) of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.1% (88/157).
- Busch has a total of 104 top-five and 125 top-10 finishes.
- Busch stands alone as the leader in all-time career wins in NASCAR’s national touring series with 213 total victories. He has earned 57 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 97 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and 60 NCWTS wins.
- In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NCWTS, NXS and NCS races at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top three series at one track on the same weekend. He then repeated the feat in August of 2017.
