With NASCAR having eased the limits on full-time Cup Series drivers with at least three years of experience running in lower divisions, it was no surprise to see Kyle Busch increase his commitment with Spire Motorsports for the upcoming 2026 Craftsman Truck Series season.
After running five races, the previous limit, in each of the past two seasons following the sale of his Kyle Busch Motorsports team to the Jeff Dickerson-owned organization, Busch is set to run eight of the 25 races on the schedule in 2026.
However, his season is not scheduled to get underway until next week, as it's Michael McDowell who is set to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet this Friday night in the first NASCAR national series race of the year, the 100-lap Fresh From Florida 250 Truck Series event at the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway oval.
Carson Hocevar is set to drive the team's No. 77 truck in the same race.
Kyle Busch won't run Daytona Truck race; Atlanta return set
Busch is set to make his Truck Series season debut in another superspeedway race, that being the race at EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway) next Saturday.
He has won both of his races at Atlanta with Spire Motorsports (one in 2024, one in 2025) and is an eight-time Truck Series winner at the track overall. He did not compete at the track with Kyle Busch Motorsports following its 2022 repave, having won his final start on the old configuration in 2021.
The remainder of his eight-race slate for 2026 is set to include the races at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, April 10; Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, May 1; Dover Motor Speedway on Friday, May 15; Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 22; Nashville Superspeedway on Friday, May 29; North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday, July 18; and Richmond Raceway on Friday, August 14.
Busch is not currently slated to compete in any O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity Series) races in 2026. That series has not been as much of a priority for him in recent years, specifically after he hit the 100-win mark in 2021. He has run just five races at NASCAR's second-highest level since the end of the 2021 season, and just one since the end of 2023.
The two-time Cup Series champion is set to enter his fourth season behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at the Cup level. His contract is due to expire at season's end.
All 2026 Truck Series action can be found live on Fox Sports 1, with the exception of two races on Fox. Friday night's season opener is set to be shown live on FS1 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV and be sure to catch all of the action!