Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) has announced its 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver roster. As former driver William Byron leaves the KBM stable for an Xfinity Series ride with Hendrick Motorsports, team owner Kyle Busch knew he to find some top quality talent for 2017. The team also announced that Busch will pilot the #51 truck for five races in 2017. His sponsorship will be from Textron Aviation. Busch lists his 2017 Truck Series debut as March 4th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He will also race May 12th at Kansas Speedway, May 20th at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 29th at Pocono Raceway, and August 12th at Michigan International Speedway. Christopher Bell is also set for a return in the #4 truck full time in 2017. Here are the four young guns that KBM will have behind the wheel of their trucks in their 2017 driver roster.
Meet the Young Talent Tapped for the KBM 2017 Driver Roster
Noah Gragson
Noah Gragson would spend 2015 racing primarily in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. He would finish third in his debut at Kern County Speedway in California. Gragson would go onto claim his first of three wins at Tucson Speedway, beating out fellow young gun Gracin Raz. Gragson notched his first career pole at Meridian Speedway and went to lead 176 laps en route to victory. Finishing second in points that year, he also made two starts in the K&N Pro Series East. He would also go onto finish 14th in his ARCA debut with Mason Mitchell Motorsports in Kentucky.
Gragson announced that in 2016 he would race in both K&N Pro Series, notching a combined four wins. He made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the #18 SpeedVegas Toyota fielded by Wauters Motorsports at Phoenix where he came home 16th. He followed that up with a 15th at the season finale in Homestead. Gragson is set to drive the #9 truck once occupied by William Byron. Sponsors have yet to be announced.
Todd Gilliland
Possibly the hottest young driver of 2016, Todd Gilliland is the son of former racer David Gilliland. The 16-year-old from North Carolina made history becoming the youngest ARCA winner in 2015 when at the age of 15 he won at Toledo. Gilliland also made his first K&N Pro Series start at Phoenix International Raceway in a car fielded by Bill McAnally Racing. Gilliland took the lead after Justin Haley blew a tire and went on the become the youngest winner in Pro Series history and Phoenix International Raceway’s history.
He ran the full season in the K&N West and also took home a victory at New Smyrna Speedway in the K&N East. Gilliland made history once again, taking home a win at Kern County Raceway winning his fourth K&N Series race in four starts. This would tie the record set by Dan Gurney 50 years earlier. Gilliland went on to win seven races and the K&N West championship, becoming the youngest champion in NASCAR history. Gilliland will be running four races this season. His debut will come at Gateway Motorsports Park on June 17th. He will also run Canadian Tire Motorsports Park September 3rd, New Hampshire Motor Speedway September 23rd, and Phoenix International Raceway November 10th.
Harrison Burton
Son of NASCAR on NBC broadcaster Jeff Burton, Harrion Burton will behind the wheel of the #51 truck for six races in 2017. Burton ran primarily in the K&N East for HScott Motorsports driving the #12 Dex Imaging Toyota. He logged one pole, one top five , and finished eighth in the championship point standings. Burton also finished third in is ARCA debut at Iowa Speedway with Rainer Racing. Burton made his 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in the fall race. He ran up front the entire race before being spun and finishing 22nd.
Burton’s other merits include three Quarter Midget championships, winning the pole for a Pro Late Model race at the age of 11, and winning a race at the age of 12. He also became the youngest driver ever to compete in the K&N Pro Series West race at 15 years, eight days old. Burton will run the following races: April 1st at Martinsville Speedway, Dover International Speedway June 2nd, Iowa Speedway June 23rd, Eldora Speedway July 19th, Bristol Motor Speedway Aug. 16th, and Martinsville Speedway Oct. 28th.
Myatt Snider
Son of NASCAR broadcaster Marty Snider, Myatt Snider made his ARCA series debut at Toldeo Speedway in the #22 Louisiana Hot Sauce Ford for Cunningham Motorsports. Snider would go onto win in his ARCA debut, leading 35 laps. He notched his first ARCA pole at Michigan. The 22-year-old would notch one win, two top fives, and two top tens. Snider only ran nine races in 2016, but made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Phoenix driving the #22 Louisiana Hot Sauce Toyota for AM Racing. Under crew chief Rick Ren, he would go on to finish 17th on the lead lap.
Snider will drive in eight races in 2017 with primary sponsorship coming from Louisiana Hot Sauce. He will make his KBM debut at Daytona International Speedway Feb. 24th. He will also run at Texas Motor Speedway June 9th and Nov. 3rd, Kentucky Speedway July 6th, Chicagoland Speedway Sept. 15th, Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sept. 30th, Talladega Superspeedway Oct. 14th, and Homestead-Miami Speedway Nov. 17th.
These four drivers, in addition to Kyle Busch, make up KBM’s 2017 driver roster. It is unknown whether or not Cody Coughlin or Daniel Suarez will run truck races in 2017. KBM’s 2017 driver roster highlights the best of the NASCAR NEXT program and will help refine the talent of these four young drivers. KBM has won 55 Truck Series races and took home their first driver’s title in 2015 with current Monster Energy Cup driver Erik Jones. It looks to be a bright year for young talent at KBM with their 2017 driver roster.
