Following Kyle Busch’s third-place finish in yesterday’s season-finale Ford EcoBoost 300 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season-finale, the 2009 champion announced he was shutting down his NNS team in his post-race press conference.
But, not to worry.
This isn’t the No. 54 Monster Energy Drink Toyota Camry that won 12 times this year, including last weekend at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Nationwide team centralizes around their No. 77 Toyota Camry that’s been driven by Parker Kligerman this season.
The Las Vegas, Nevada native formed his own Nationwide program in 2012 sharing driving duties with older brother Kurt. To everyone’s surprise, the operation went winless with Kyle at the helm, but Kurt scored the organization’s lone win at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April.
Busch cited sponsorship issues as the reason for the long-rumored shutdown.
“There’s absolutely no funding in this world,” explained Busch, after posting his 21st top-five run of the year. “I hate it for all the guys. It really, really sucks.”
No doubt that the announcement will affect the employees at KBM’s Mooresville, North Carolina-based shop, with reports that some of the employees already received their layoff notices several weeks ago.
What’s even worse for KBM?
It doesn’t look like Joey Coulter will return to the team in 2014 behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota Tundra. Catchfence.com has spoken to sources close to the situation and they have told us that Coulter is looking at other options for next year, which includes leaving the sport entirely.
Sponsorship has also hindered Coulter, who delivered just five top-10 finishes in the second full-time truck for KBM this season. In 2012, driving for Richard Childress Racing, Coulter scored his first career win at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and nailed 15 top-10s finishes en route to a third place finish in the standings. This year, Coulter, who was handpicked by many to be a championship contender only managed 15th in the final standings.
So, what’s on deck for KBM moving forward?
Frank Bolter, director of business development for KBM has some work to do in order to bring these teams back in (hopefully) 2015, if not sooner. In the meantime, the Toyota-supported is expected to have two full-time truck teams next season with Darrell Wallace Jr. in the No. 54 Tundra and Kyle Busch and his newest protégé Erik Jones split the season in the No. 51 Tundra.
No word on Chad Hackenbracht, who ran four race this season, including a second-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.
Follow Chris Knight @Knighter01.
