Kyle Busch Completes Three-Peat at EchoPark; Finds Victory Lane in Shortened Race

Kyle Busch leads the field during the Fr8 Racing 208 from EchoPark Speedway. (Photo: Phil Cavali | The Podium Finish)

HAMPTON, Ga. — Spire Motorsports has found a string of success on the high banks of EchoPark Speedway, and the driver who has led that charge is the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series all-time wins leader.

Kyle Busch has been a model of success for all young drivers who are trying to make their way up through the ranks of the sport, winning a total of 68 Truck Series victories over his 25-year career. But Busch’s victory on Saturday did not come without help. Teammate and Cup Series regular Carson Hocevar made reparations with the veteran driver after a rough spring Cup Series EchoPark race almost one year ago to this day.

The teammates worked together throughout the entirety of the Fr8 Racing 208, slicing their way through the likes of ThorSport drivers Ben Rhodes and Jake Garcia along with Halmar Friesen Racing drivers Stewart Friesen and Cup Series regular John Hunter Nemechek. Although the race was shortened due to the adverse conditions rule and the upcoming start for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, the event was full of intense action and surprising results.

Justin Haley and Kaulig Racing Pick up Second Top 10 With RAM

RAM returning to the sport of NASCAR was big news in the middle of the 2025 season. But now more than ever, RAM has to prove to the Craftsman Truck Series field that they can compete up front in a multitude of different racing environments. Their efforts at Daytona last weekend and this weekend at EchoPark have shown that their ability to adapt is starting to grow.

Justin Haley and Brenden Queen have been at the forefront of that effort, with each driver producing a top 10 finish in the first two races for the brand new Kaulig Racing campaign. To add the cherry on top, Haley also led the most laps in the entire field at Daytona last weekend, a huge accomplishment for a team that is trying to grow into a powerhouse down the road.

Justin Haley takes to the track during qualifying for the Fr8 Racing 208 from EchoPark Speedway. (Photo: Phil Cavali | The Podium Finish)

The expectations were moderate for Haley and Kaulig Racing, at least when the season kicked off over a week ago.

“I think it’s obvious with my experience and how many races I’ve done in NASCAR that I feel like we should be competitive no matter where we’re at or how good our trucks are,” Haley said in an interview with NASCAR.com. “We may go out and be good and surprise ourselves, or it might be really bad, and we have to slowly work on it.”

Over the next few races, from the streets of St. Petersburg to the infamous Rockingham Speedway, the world of NASCAR will see what RAM is made off on a variety of different courses. Haley looks, at the moment, to be the top dog in the new Stellantis stable, but only time will tell if that is true.

Ben Rhodes Falls Short After Fuel Mileage Error

ThorSport has not had the speed that the once mighty organization had with veteran drivers such as Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton in the prime of their careers. Now, the Ford team’s vehicles are in the hands of two former champions and up-and-comers who are trying to prove themselves as winners.

Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski are those champions, but the past couple years have not been easy despite their past success. Majeski won the Truck Series championship in 2024, but the path back to Victory Lane since then has been rough and full of obstacles. The veteran was winless last season with his No. 98 team, and with the retirement of Crafton from his No. 88 machine at the end of last season, Majeski has since filled that role and now drives the iconic Menards Ford F-150.

On the other hand, Ben Rhodes, who won his two championships back in 2021 and 2023, has had a plethora of bad luck in several races as well. Yesterday’s Fr8 Racing 208 was yet again one of those unfortunate circumstances for Rhodes.

Ben Rhodes leads the field into Turn 3 at EchoPark Speedway during the Fr8 Racing 208. (Photo: Phil Cavali | The Podium Finish)

At the end of Stage 2, Rhodes was near the front of the field, fighting with the eventual race winner in the No. 7 Chevrolet, along with the No. 52 driven by Friesen and Daytona race winner Chandler Smith. Out of nowhere, the Campers Inn RV F-150 slowed down immensely, with reports from NASCAR on FOX saying that the No. 99 had ran out of fuel. The costly mistake forced the ThorSport team to pay the price late in the show, with the adverse conditions rule in affect and the race being cut short.

Rhodes went on to finish fourth, with the former champion knowing that his team and truck had more to show on the track than the outcome that prevailed.

“We just missed it by one lap… we didn’t account for enough when they rode around at the beginning of the race under the five or six laps,” said Rhodes in his post-race comments. “I guess there was just a miscalculation on fuel. I was ready to fight, though… can’t fight your own team, but I was ready to fight.”

Rhodes still came home with a solid top five finish and his ThorSport camp hopes to build upon a solid run besides the fuel mileage issues.

Winning With Family In-Person Means More to Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch went on to win the Fr8 Racing 208, but for a driver who has won so many events at such a high level of the sport of racing and NASCAR specifically, winning with his son Brexton present put the day on another level for the two-time Cup Series champion.

Once Busch finished his burnouts in his HendrickCars.com Silverado, FOX panned to his son running out onto the frontstretch to greet his dad. The two hugged, exchanging some words in the process, took an iconic Rowdy victory bow, and Busch placed Brexton in his No. 7 Chevrolet and drove them both to Victory Lane to celebrate.

Kyle Busch celebrating with Brexton Busch after winning the Fr8 Racing 208 from EchoPark Speedway. (Photo: Phil Cavali | The Podium Finish)

“Finally, I win one that he’s here,” said Busch to NASCAR on FOX with his son at his side. “Great to have the family here to win one and celebrate in Victory Lane.”

Busch later credited the help he got from Hocevar.

“I had a great teammate (Hocevar) behind me and have to give credit where credit is due,” Busch stated. “Early on I was a little worried he wasn’t helping but there at the end he was right there.”

Busch’s next Craftsman Truck Series attempt will take place on April 10th at Bristol Motor Speedway, a track that Busch has had the most success at in his NASCAR National Touring Series career.

Stage 1 Top 10 Results:

1. Corey Heim
2. Ben Rhodes
3. Kyle Busch
4. Carson Hocevar
5. Ty Majeski
6. Stewart Friesen
7. Andres Perez
8. Kaden Honeycutt
9. Daniel Hemric
10. Giovanni Ruggiero

Stage 2 Top 10 Results:

1. Stewart Friesen
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
3. Carson Hocevar
4. Chandler Smith
5. Kyle Busch
6. Giovanni Ruggiero
7. Jake Garcia
8. Andres Perez
9. Corey Heim
10. Layne Riggs

Fr8 Racing 208 at EchoPark Speedway Race Results: