Kyle Busch Returns to Truck Victory Lane at Pocono

Kyle Busch celebrates his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win of 2023. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)

LONG POND, Penn. – Kyle Busch continues to prove that old dogs can learn new tricks in the world of NASCAR.

At age 38, the Las Vegas native continually adds to his impressive resume across stock car’s three top divisions. Last Saturday’s CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway may be one of his finest masterpiece in his storied career.

Certainly, with his starts limited to allow more series regulars to compete for wins, the 63-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victor has to make the most of his opportunities. Starting from the 12th position, the driver of the No. 51 Zariz Transport Chevrolet Silverado seemingly had his work cut out for him.

Unlike his prior wins, Busch did not have the most dominant truck. In fact, it was a crafty kind of race for a driver making his fifth and final start of the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season.

In the early going, sixth place starter Zane Smith looked like he had the winning machine. Sweeping Stages 1 and 2, the defending Truck champion easily outclassed the field with his No. 38 Birch Gold Group Ford F-150.

On Lap 53, the complexity of the race changed greatly with a 10 truck accident in Turn 1 that eliminated Smith, Kaz Grala and Austin Hill from contention. Without a doubt, Smith was incredibly frustrated about the crash which destroyed his truck.

It looked like another winning afternoon for Zane Smith before trouble found him in Turn 1. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)

“I don’t really know who wrecked in front of me,” Smith said. “It was obviously just a matter of time with those weapons, but it’s just unfortunate. I got hit right into it and it just caught on fire.

“Our Birch Gold Ford was really fast. We won both stages, so fortunately we had that. It’s just a bummer we got put back there with those guys where we don’t belong.”

After the carnage in Turn 1 was cleaned up, it was a six lap battle for the win. Corey Heim, the ninth place starter, appeared to be in position for his fifth career Truck win. In particular, he had the most dominant truck next to Smith.

However, on this afternoon, the young bucks seemingly forgot about the wily veteran in the No. 51 Chevrolet.

On the final lap, as Heim and Busch made their way into Turn 2, the infamous Tunnel Turn, the latter made a who will blink first move. Busch did not flinch and his brilliant pass resulted in his 64th career Truck win and 229th career win across NASCAR’s three national series.

After his customary bow to the crowd, Busch was relieved but thrilled with scoring his organization’s 100th win.

“It’s pretty cool,” Busch said for FOX Sports’ Josh Sims. “We’ve been around for a long time. Not as long as others, obviously. They’ve withstood a little bit longer. But it’s been fun. It’s a great ride. This Silverado was just really, really fast.

“Just mired in traffic and couldn’t find a way to make a clean move. I had to make a little bit of a racy one, a little bit of a dicy one into (Turn) 2, but Heim ran a great race.”

Considering the frustrating bids at COTA, Martinsville and Kansas, Busch lamented about the pace of his trucks. Following last Saturday’s thriller, the iconic racer no longer has to think about when the 100th win will happen.

It was not a classic dominant performance but it was enough for Busch to earn his 64th career Truck win. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)

“We needed this 100th win to get it over with,” he said. “This Zariz Transport Silverado was just too fast to hold us out of Victory Lane. I’m really proud of the guys and everybody at KBM and Rowdy Manufacturing.”

Coming up a position short of the win, Heim tipped his cap to the former Toyota Racing leadfooter. In spite of the last lap, Turn 2 pass, he acknowledged how Busch did everything cleanly to win at Pocono.

“Just unreal,” Heim said. “I felt like I did everything right. It seemed like we had about five laps in the truck before it started tightening up on me. I didn’t really get the run I wanted out of (Turn) 1 and I knew his straightaway speed was really good. I was a little upset initially, but realistically, I would have done the exact same thing.

“Heat of the moment right there, but I’ve just got a lot of respect for Kyle. I raced for him for two years, and he was really good to me, and he raced me with respect today. Hard racer, he didn’t wreck us to win.”

Freshman racer Taylor Gray tallied a third place result, a positive moment in a sometimes trying year. After clambering out of his No. 17 Toyota Tundra, Gray considered his second career podium finish.

“I just needed a little more front grip through (Turn) 3, but my biggest issue was just being a little too tight,” Gray said. “I can’t thank my guys enough for bringing me a really fast JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. I’m going to go back and work on myself, watch some more film and keep getting better.”

In the meantime, Busch added to his illustrious NASCAR career with another trophy for his mantle. More importantly, it was a memorable achievement for his hardworking crew who have been alongside him through the organization’s ups and downs.

“Never gonna stop me, never gonna stop.” (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)

“It’s a monumental day,” Busch said. “It’s a century mark of being able to win 100 Truck races. Granted, we’re a small team and just one that performs in the Truck Series. We ventured away once upon a time and didn’t quite work, but we found a home here in the Trucks.

“I’m excited to have Craftsman back on board, so we appreciate Craftsman and all of their support of the Truck Series over the years. It’s cool to always score a victory and another nice one here at Pocono.”

Stage 1 Top 10 Results

1. Zane Smith
2. Nick Sanchez
3. Matt DiBenedetto
4. Kyle Busch
5. Austin Hill
6. Jake Garcia
7. Corey Heim
8. Grant Enfinger
9. Stewart Friesen
10. Taylor Gray

Stage 2 Top 10 Results

1. Zane Smith
2. Stewart Friesen
3. Nick Sanchez
4. Matt DiBenedetto
5. Grant Enfinger
6. Ben Rhodes
7. Tyler Ankrum
8. Rajah Caruth
9. Colby Howard
10. Matt Crafton

CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Race Results