BATESVILLE, Ark. – Kyle Busch will get a little extra experience on dirt ahead of the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway by competing in the Bristol Dirt Nationals on March 19-20.
Busch, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series, will race as a teammate to three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jonathan Davenport at Double L Motorsports during the Bristol Dirt Nationals.
The Bristol Dirt Nationals are being held one week before the Food City Dirt Race on March 28, the first NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt since 1970.
Busch isn’t a rookie in a dirt super late model, having raced in and won the 2012 edition of the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway.
“Most of my experience in super late models have come on pavement, but I’ve really enjoyed dirt super late models races when I’ve had the chance to run them,” said Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. “The Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway was a race I looked forward to every year and bringing home the win there in 2012 was something I’ll always remember. ”
Busch will drive the No. 51 Longhorn Chassis out of the Double L Motorsports stable with sponsorship from Nutrien Ag Solutions. Additional sponsors will be announced later.
“I want to thank Nutrien Ag Solutions and Double L Motorsports for the opportunity to get some seat time at Bristol in one of their dirt late models,” Busch added. “Jonathan Davenport’s resume speaks for itself with all the success he’s had in the dirt late model cars, so I’m looking forward to learning all I can from him. While the cars are completely different than the NASCAR Cup Series cars we will run at Bristol, just getting some experience on dirt with a great team and a knowledgeable teammate will be invaluable for the following weekend.”
The Bristol Dirt Nationals will be the first event held on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway in 20 years. The event is scheduled to include multiple divisions, headlined by the super late model class that Busch and Davenport are competing in.
Drivers will battle for $10,000 on March 19, with $50,000 on the line on March 20.
“This is an event that we have been eyeing since it was announced during the off-season,” said Davenport. “The first dirt races at Bristol back 20 years ago were huge for our sport and since then, we have come a long way in the amount of exposure that our type of racing gets. I believe that this year’s Bristol Dirt Nationals and having Kyle compete in it along with a bunch of talented dirt drivers, will put even more eyeballs on our sport.
“He is a heck of a wheelman in anything he drives, so I am definitely looking forward to teaming up with Kyle and see what we can both do on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway.”