Kyle Busch and Christian Eckes battle at Bristol. (Photo: Josh James | The Podium Finish)
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Few drivers have such high expectations in which anything other than a win is a disappointment. Then again, there are not many drivers with the reputation of Kyle Busch… in a truck… at Bristol Motor Speedway.
For 104 laps, Busch showed why he has this reputation, as he dominated the middle portion of Saturday’s Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol en route to winning the first and second stages.
It was a two-man show all night, as Busch and Christian Eckes combined to lead all but one lap. However, on this day, the student beat the master, as Eckes held off his former boss for his sixth-career win, beating a hard-charging Busch by 0.141 seconds.
The speed on the No. 7 truck was evident all day on Saturday. The issue was getting the balance right going from day to night.
“The crazy thing about it was we fought loose all through practice, all through qualifying, all through the beginning part of the race,” Busch told Fox Sports’ Regan Smith. “We put on the newer date codes and tires and instantly tight. Just not being able to prepare and practice on what you expect to race on hurt us.”
Kyle Busch runs the bottom at Bristol. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
Early into the third stage, a 67-lap green flag run began. Busch let Eckes go on lap 159, expecting the No. 19 to burn his tires up on the long run. This move nearly worked, as Busch and third-place Matt Crafton caught Eckes and an exciting three-car battle ensued before Stewart Friesen spun on lap 219, putting an end to the excitement.
On the ensuing restart, Eckes got a much better start and built up just enough of a gap to hold on as Busch charged hard, but came up short in the No. 7 Group1001 Silverado.
“We would’ve wrecked,” Busch said to FOX Sports’ Regan Smith when asked what would have happened with one more lap.
The all-time winningest NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver is now 1/3 for Spire Motorsports this season. Busch said driving for the team that bought out KBM feels no different than when he raced for himself.
“Just giving the best feedback I can, the most feedback I can” Busch told Noah Lewis. “Trying to give them what’s wrong and where we’re missing it.”
Busch’s remaining two Truck series starts will be at Texas and Darlington.
