Kyle Busch Motorsports reveals driver lineup, switch to Chevrolet for 2023
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Kyle Busch Motorsports announced Friday it will field two full-time trucks in the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season as it transitions to Chevrolet.
Chase Purdy will pilot the No. 4 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal. Additionally, Jack Wood will compete in at least 10 races behind the wheel of the No. 51 Chevrolet, splitting the ride with owner-driver Kyle Busch and other Cup and Xfinity Series drivers that will be announced at a later time as the team chases an owner‘s title with that entry.
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Busch remains the winningest driver in series history with 62 victories. The program debuted in 2010 and has been a Toyota team thanks to Busch‘s tie to the manufacturer in the Cup Series.
As Busch transitions to Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet for the 2023 Cup Series season, his namesake team will follow suit to a different manufacturer.
“Obviously there will be a lot of change at KBM in 2023, but our goal as an organization remains the same that it always has been and that‘s to go out and win races and provide the young drivers in our lineup everything they need to reach their full potential,” Busch said in a team release. “We have the right people in place to be able to accomplish those goals for our two trucks as well as being able to provide technical support to Rev Racing as they expand into the Truck Series and create a pipeline for young drivers in their program to advance their careers to the next level.”
Purdy joins the program as he moves from Hattori Racing Enterprises, where he piloted the No. 61 Toyota full-time in 2022. He ranked 16th in points with two top-10 finishes ahead of Friday night‘s season finale (10 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“I‘m thankful for the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the No. 4 truck and my goal is to join the long list of winners that KBM has produced,” Purdy said in a release. “KBM has great people that build really fast trucks and I‘m confident we can do big things together the next two seasons. I appreciate everyone involved that helped put me in this position and I can‘t wait for next season to start!”
Wood is about to complete his first full-time season for GMS Racing and drives the No. 24 Chevrolet, sitting 23rd in points with a career-best finish of 10th in 2021 at Worldwide Technology Raceway.
“Growing up racing on the West Coast, I never would‘ve dreamed that I‘d be racing for Kyle Busch Motorsports and sharing a truck with Kyle,” Wood said. “It‘s truly the opportunity of a lifetime and I can‘t even put into words how excited that I am.
“To have the chance to learn from arguably one of the best to ever do it is going to be an incredible experience for me and I‘m extremely thankful to everyone at Chevrolet and KBM that made this possible. I know that I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, but KBM will be surrounding me with everything I need to continue to grow as a driver and I can‘t wait to get started.”
Further announcements on the driver schedule for the No. 51 team as well as crew chiefs and sponsors for both teams are forthcoming.
This story will be updated.
