Kyle Busch’s bid for a NASCAR Truck Series victory at Nashville Superspeedway was derailed on Friday night following a penalty during the race. Competing across multiple events in Tennessee, the two-time Cup Series champion faced a setback that significantly affected his chances of winning the Truck Series race.
Busch, who holds the record as the most successful driver in Truck Series history, started the race in 12th position behind the wheel of the No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Expectations were high given his track record, but an infraction during a restart led to a drive-through penalty, greatly hindering his performance throughout the 150-lap event.
Details of the Critical Penalty During the Race
After 11 laps under green following an early caution, the race was set to restart. However, Busch pulled out of the designated restart line before reaching the start-finish line, which is against NASCAR’s restart rules. This action earned him an immediate drive-through penalty, forcing Busch to fall behind the rest of the field.
The penalty dropped Busch from 12th down to 25th place by the end of the first stage, effectively removing any realistic chance of competing for the win. Despite this setback, Busch managed to recover some ground and finished the race in 15th position, well off the pace set by the leaders.
Rajah Caruth Claims Victory at Nashville Superspeedway
The NASCAR Truck Series race at Nashville, known as the Rackley Roofing 200, was ultimately won by Rajah Caruth in the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Caruth narrowly edged out Corey Heim, the current Truck Series points leader, by just over half a second at the finish line.
I didn’t expect that at all — those guys were breathing down my neck the whole run,
Caruth said, reflecting on the intense competition during the final laps.
My pit crew won that race. They won the race for us, got us off pit road twice.
He credited his team’s efficient pit stops as a decisive factor in his victory.
We’ve been off this year, but it was good to get it done tonight. That was a lot of fun. I asked myself, ‘How bad do you want it?’ I just tried my best, and we had clean air. Their stuff was better, but I just did my best. That was it.
Alongside Caruth and Heim, Layne Riggs, Daniel Hemric, and Corey Day completed the top five. Other notable top-10 finishers included Kaden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith, Ty Majeski, Bayley Currey, and Grant Enfinger, highlighting the competitive depth of the field.
Scheduling and Future Truck Series Appearances for Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch has participated in four of his five scheduled Truck Series races for the 2025 season so far. His final planned Truck event this year will take place at Watkins Glen in August, where he aims to return to stronger form.
As Busch continues his rigorous schedule competing simultaneously in both the Truck and Cup Series throughout the racing weekend, the penalty at Nashville serves as a reminder of how highly regulated NASCAR competition remains, with driver conduct during restarts being critical to race outcomes.
