Kyle Busch added another Dover Motor Speedway trophy to his already impressive collection Friday night, dominating the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ECOSAVE 200 for his fifth Truck Series win at the famous concrete mile.
Driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Busch led 147 of the race’s 200 laps and swept both stage victories before cruising to a 3.039-second win over former series champion Ty Majeski.
The victory marked Busch’s series-best 69th career Truck Series win and his second victory in four starts this season.
After climbing from his truck, Busch bowed to the Dover crowd before reflecting on another memorable performance at one of his favorite racetracks.
“You never know when the last one is,” Busch said. “I know all too well unfortunately with the Cup stuff, but here with the Truck stuff now, it’s awesome to be part of Spire Motorsports.
“I’m sure it looked great out front, leading the race,” Busch added with a grin. “It wasn’t just Kyle Larson doing it. Feels good to have another Kyle able to do it and put ourselves in Victory Lane. Love coming to Dover, always one of my favorite places to race.”
Busch also credited strategy and tire management for helping secure the win.
“Definitely some managing of the fuel there, managing the tires there,” Busch said. “It was an interesting strategic battle from the driver’s seat. Thanks to the fans and all the people for being here.”
Ross Chastain was the only driver who consistently challenged Busch throughout the night. Chastain led 49 laps and battled Busch side-by-side during the middle stages of the race, but a late fuel stop took him out of contention for the win.
Majeski finished second for ThorSport Racing, matching his best finish of the season. Front Row Motorsports driver Layne Riggs crossed the line third, while last week’s Watkins Glen winner Kaden Honeycutt rallied from an early pit road penalty to finish fourth. NASCAR Cup Series star Christopher Bell completed the top five.
Honeycutt’s strong recovery helped him extend his Truck Series points lead to 38 points over Riggs. Chandler Smith sits third in the standings, 39 points behind.
Brandon Jones, Christian Eckes, Corey LaJoie, Jake Garcia, and Justin Haley rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer also returned to competition Friday night, making a one-off start for Kaulig Racing’s RAM truck program. Bowyer ran competitively before a late tire issue dropped him to a 29th-place finish.
“I had a ton of fun,” Bowyer said afterward. “This is a cool race track, a demanding race track, and neat to see Kyle Busch in Victory Lane. NASCAR needs that, and it gives him so much confidence moving into tomorrow’s event and Sunday.
“Proud of being a part of this, and who knows, maybe I’ll be a part of it again.”
The race also featured a historic moment for NASCAR, as three women competed in the Truck Series field for the first time since 2021.
Dystany Spurlock became the first Black woman to start a NASCAR national series race. Although her night ended early after a spin on Lap 37, resulting in a 36th-place finish, Spurlock remained positive about the milestone moment.
“Today is a great day,” Spurlock said. “We did make history, which is phenomenal. Of course I wanted to finish the race, but this is racing and things like this happen. Just going to get ready for the next race.”
Toni Breidinger finished 25th, while Natalie Decker came home 34th.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns next Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Corey Heim enters the race as the defending winner.
