Jeff Gluck: Kyle Busch's decision to own Truck team good for sport, series and fans
Kyle Busch announced the formation of the Kyle Busch Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team Friday. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
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Kyle Busch aiming to give young drivers a chance with his new Truck team
COMMENTARY
CHARLOTTE - Though Kyle Busch says he had a few reservations about bringing Kyle Busch Motorsports into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – and had a challenge convincing his girlfriend Samantha Sarcinella – the ultimate result is an overwhelmingly positive decision.
When weighing out all the pros and cons, the negatives about the move are drowned out like the last few letters of Busch’s name during boo-ridden driver introductions.
There are a tremendous amount of positives, and just about everyone stands to benefit – from fans to NASCAR to drivers to crewmen – unless you work for Billy Ballew Motorsports (Busch’s former team) or Kevin Harvick Inc. (which lost one of the best minds in the business in Rick Ren).
Another big loser could be Busch’s pocketbook, but the driver said he understands going in that he’ll be in the red – at least the first year. And realistically, the Truck series is never going to be the place to make a fortune.
But Busch hasn’t looked at the Truck series or this new venture that way (after all, he never drew a salary while driving for Ballew). This is mostly based on the love of the sport, which is why the following people and groups will benefit:
• NASCAR and the CWTS – In a time when the health of the Truck series has been iffy, with more teams pulling out than coming in, Busch’s decision adds to the greater good by bringing trucks and sponsors. Just his team’s presence alone will give fans something else to talk about and tune in to see (which is perhaps why Speed not only broadcast the news conference, but hosted it), and the potential rivalry between KBM and KHI (especially with Ren going from one to the other) should be interesting to watch. Can you imagine Ron Hornaday punting a KBM truck and cameras following Busch as he storms toward a KHI pit box? It could be fun.
• Other drivers – By putting Tayler Malsam and Brian Ickler in his trucks, Busch has shown an interest in developing young talent. In fact, Busch said there has been a decided lack of good young drivers coming up through the ranks, and he plans to help fix that by giving some of them a chance in his trucks. And it’s not only the young guys – Busch said he desperately wants to get former series champ Johnny Benson in a truck (Benson won the title then lost his ride midway through last season) and is dedicated to finding a sponsor for the veteran.
• Currently unemployed crew members – Busch has to hire more than 40 people for his team, so resumes are already pouring in. More crewmen from various teams are out of work than ever before thanks to the economy, and KBM will provide a worthy opportunity for them. Busch said he needs both personnel who can go on the road (and do double-duty on the pit crew) and people to stay behind at the shop and work on the trucks under Ren’s guidance.
• Ren – The winningest crew chief in series history, who is just coming off another title, gets a chance to remain closer to home and spend more time with his family. At the same time, overseeing the competition department and helping to build a new team will move him up the corporate ladder. He’ll miss the pit box, but it’s time for the next phase of his career.
• Busch – Being a team owner should only help Busch’s maturation process – which the driver himself would admit is a work in progress. Ownership has helped Tony Stewart smooth some of his rougher edges (OK, so maybe not by much) and could help Busch’s decision-making process now that he’s ultimately heading a company that has people’s professional careers and reputations at stake.
