LAS VEGAS — Kyle Busch earned his 57th career NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series win in Friday night’s Strat 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Per usual, the Victory Lane trip for “Rowdy” in the Gander Truck Series’ 600th race came with virtual boos from fans on social media, even NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson chimed in with an emoji that indicated Busch is “cherry-picking” the competition.
https://twitter.com/KyleLarsonRacin/status/1231068483963641856
Despite the backlash, Busch had an unlikely competitor come to the rescue and defend his truck efforts – fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver and former rival Kevin Harvick.
https://twitter.com/KevinHarvick/status/1231258951884214273
https://twitter.com/KevinHarvick/status/1231266777130127360
https://twitter.com/KevinHarvick/status/1231262824296411136
Then Harvick put his money where his mouth is – literally – offering up a $50,000 bounty for any full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver who can find a truck ride and beat Busch in one of his next four events.
https://twitter.com/KevinHarvick/status/1231261779184869379
The ante was raised when Gander RV & Outdoors CEO Marcus Lemonis committed to matching Harvick’s bounty, putting a full total of $100,000 on the table. Busch didn’t hold back with his thoughts on it in the media center on Saturday morning.
“Well, there just better be an asterisk on it because if somebody crashes me, it doesn’t count,” Busch said. “Put money on a bounty on somebody and then bad things tend to happen. I don’t know. Make it whatever y’all want. It don’t matter to me.
“I’ve got great stuff, I’m a good driver. Bring it.”
Fellow drivers Austin Dillon, Corey LaJoie, Brendan Gaughan, Landon Cassill and Timmy Hill all replied with interest to put up a fight.
https://twitter.com/CoreyLaJoie/status/1231302327547486209
https://twitter.com/austindillon3/status/1231301894292660224
https://twitter.com/landoncassill/status/1231270974726631425
https://twitter.com/TimmyHillRacer/status/1231271946651725824
Friday night’s race is one of only five races Busch is allowed to compete in during the 2020 Gander Truck Series season; others on his schedule include Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 14), Homestead-Miami Speedway (March 20), Texas Motor Speedway (March 27) and Kansas Speedway (May 30).