Michael McDowell began competing with Spire Motorsports in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, which also led to his first starts in the Craftsman Truck Series since 2009. He appeared in the first two races of the 2025 season at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway but did not continue driving the No. 07 Chevrolet after those events.
As the No. 07 truck was removed from Spire Motorsports’ lineup, McDowell started the 2026 Truck Series season driving the No. 7 Chevrolet at Daytona. Despite leading the most laps in that race, he finished 24th and will not compete in the next event at Atlanta.
Kyle Busch is set to drive the No. 7 truck this weekend, filling the seat for McDowell in the lineup at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.
Kyle Busch’s Expanded Role and Track Success
Prior to the 2026 season, Busch confirmed plans to participate in eight Truck Series races with Spire Motorsports, increasing from three starts in previous years. This change comes after NASCAR eased restrictions, allowing Cup Series drivers with at least three years of experience to more frequently compete in lower divisions.
Busch will race with sponsorship from HendrickCars.com and enters as the most successful driver in Truck Series history. He holds 67 career Truck Series victories across 19 seasons, with a notable streak of 13 consecutive winning seasons beginning in 2013. His record at Atlanta is especially remarkable, with eight wins, and he is currently two-for-two at Atlanta driving for Spire since 2024.
Driver Lineup and Scheduled Appearances for 2026
Kyle Busch will not make his second start of the 2026 Truck Series season until April 10 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, Michael McDowell has no further starts planned in the No. 7 truck this year.
Connor Mosack is scheduled to debut his season at the next race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, which marks the beginning of his 12-race schedule for the year. Additionally, four races remain in the season that still require drivers for the No. 7 truck.
Carson Hocevar, a full-time Cup Series teammate of McDowell, will return to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet this week after competing in that vehicle at Daytona.
Broadcast Information for Upcoming Race
The Fr8 208 from Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway will air live on Fox Sports 1 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 21. Viewers are encouraged to tune in for the coverage of the race.
“Busch confirmed just before the start of the season that he plans to compete in eight Truck Series races with Spire Motorsports this year, an increase of five from previous years as a result of NASCAR’s more lenient restrictions when it comes to full-time Cup Series drivers with at least three years of experience competing in lower divisions.” ?Anonymous, Spire Motorsports Representative
“He is the winningest driver in the history of the Truck Series, and eight of those wins have come at Atlanta.” ?Anonymous, NASCAR Analyst
