Kyle Busch announced on Friday that he would become a NASCAR team owner, unveiling Kyle Busch Motorsports' assault on the Camping World Truck Series in 2010.
Following in the footsteps of Sprint Cup colleagues Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick, Busch will now have his own squad in NASCAR, fielding the No. 56 and No. 18 Toyota Tundras next year. Kyle Busch Motorsports, which has fielded numerous Late Model stock cars for Busch and others since late 2007, will take over the assets of the Xpress Motorsports Truck Series squad.
Busch will share driving duties in one of his trucks with Brian Ickler, while the other one will have 20-year-old Tayler Malsam at the wheel full time. The 24-year-old has hired veteran crew chief Rick Ren to lead his organization as director of competition. Ren won the Truck Series title with Ron Hornaday this season and also in 2007.
"I feel really blessed with my opportunities that I've had over the last few seasons in NASCAR, to now kind of give back a little bit," said Busch. "I have given back to the local short track ranks with the Late Model cars and have had some good partners on that side. And now, with the Camping World Truck Series program, I feel like it's really going to be beneficial to me to have Rick Ren on board and to give back to such young drivers, like Brian Ickler, Tayler Malsam and myself.
"It's a fun deal for me. I really enjoy racing in the Camping World Truck Series – one of my favorite divisions to race in. Of course, the focus is solely on the Cup stuff for myself and that's been an instrumental part of bringing Rick in, so I can keep that focus over there on that side. The time has come."
In 2009, Busch contested 15 out of 25 events in the Truck Series, winning seven of them for Billy Ballew Motorsports, for whom he has driven since 2007 without a salary.
Besides his Truck Series outings, next year Busch is expected to run a partial schedule as defending Nationwide Series champion, but is placing more emphasis on his Sprint Cup Series duties after missing the Chase this year.