Kyle Busch said:

Braun offered [Malsam] a chance to move up to the Nationwide Series and we have no reason to hold him back. He’s a driver, like Brian [Ickler], who absorbed a lot of knowledge from myself, Rick Ren (competition director) and the rest of the guys at KBM. We support him all the way.

This news isn’t all too suprising considering that KBM has been having trouble since it started. It lost its primary sponsor for the No. 18 truck when Miccosukee Resort and Gaming pulled its sponsorship when the tribe got a new leader. Plans for a third truck were scrapped due to a lack of sponsorship funds. And, contractors have filed or will file liens because they say they are owed collectively around $1 million for the construction of Busch’s race headquarters.

Meanwhile, Malsam is the second KBM drive to take another job. Ickler, who was piloting the No. 18 truck for races Busch could not make, signed on to run some Nationwide races for Roush Fenway Racing. Johnny Benson will fill in for Ickler in the No. 18.

Xpress’ driver, Brian Scott, is leaving the team to compete for Braun Racing in the Nationwide Series next season.

The newly formed Kyle Busch Motorsports is planning on fielding multiple Toyotas in the series. Busch, who drove part time for Billy Ballew Motorsports last season, winning seven races, will drive for his own team with Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts as a full-time sponsor. He will share that ride with Brian Ickler. Tayler Malsam will also drive a second KBM Toyota full time.

Busch would also like to field a Toyota for Johnny Benson, if sponsorship can be secured. Exide Batteries was rumored as a potential sponsor. In 2008, Benson won the Camping World Truck Series championship, but he did not compete in the full 2009 season, as sponsorship for his truck could not be found.

Busch said:

My single biggest reason for doing this was just the pure love for the sport and enjoyment of being where I’m at and having the opportunity to help the young drivers and hopefully to get Johnny in a truck. … When I feel like this program develops into something that it’s really proud of, that I’m really proud of, then maybe it’ll be a Nationwide program that comes next.

Rick Ren, who recently left Kevin Harvick Inc, will serve as director of competition at KBM. He and Busch are working to hire crew chiefs for their teams next season.

KBM is currently fields Late Models, and is building a new facility to house the truck team. In the meantime, the truck team will work out of Xpress’ facility, which is located in Mooresville, NC. The team hopes to move into the new building by April 1.

Busch dropped back on the final restart, but once his truck got going, he passed leader Todd Bodine with four laps to go. He later held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick. Harvick had a slow pit stop that cost him a chance at victory, but he managed to finish second.

Top 5: Busch, Harvick, Bodine, Mike Skinner, and Terry Cook.

Chad McCumbee, Ron Hornaday, Mike Bliss, Johnny Benson, and Brian Scott rounded out the top 10.

Notables: Matt Crafton (11th), Rick Crawford (16th), David Starr (17th), Johnny Sauter (18th), Stacey Compton (19th), and Dennis Setzer (28th).

Chad McCumbee, David Starr, and TJ Bell finished third through fifth, respectively.

Ron Hornaday, Matt Crafton, Ricky Carmichael, Timothy Peters, and Max Papis rounded out the top 10.

Notables: Mike Skinner (11th), Johnny Benson (12th), Rick Crawford (14th), Stacy Compton (15th), Mike Bliss (18th), Colin Braun (20th), Terry Cook (25th), and Dennis Setzer (26th).

The win was said to be an emotional one for Bodine, who recently lost his sponsor. Winning the race may help the team secure a sponsor or investor.

Top 5: Bodine, Busch, Terry Cook, JR Fitzpatrick, and Ron Hornaday.

Timothy Peters, Mike Skinner, Matt Crafton, Colin Braun, and Tayler Malsam rounded out the top 10.

Notables: Stacey Compton (14th), David Starr (17th), Dennis Setzer (18th), Rick Crawford (21st), Johnny Benson (26th), Johnny Sauter (27th), and Mike Bliss (33rd.)

Benson got caught up in a nine-truck pile up that effectively ended his night.

Hornaday trailed Benson by four points heading into the race, and led early. But, a two-tire gamble by Benson put him in the lead, ahead of Hornaday. The two raced for the lead, with Hornaday eventually getting by him.

With 10 laps to go, the caution came out when Mike Skinner cut a tire. Hornaday pitted while Benson stayed out. Despite a green-white-checker finish, Hornaday could not pass Benson.

Benson won the championship by seven points.

The win is his fifth of the season, but second place finisher Johnny Benson maintained his points lead.

Top 5: Hornaday, Benson, Travis Kvapil, Erik Darnell, and Rick Crawford.

Kyle Busch, David Starr, Brian Scott, Jack Sprague, and TJ Bell rounded out the top 10.

Notables: Matt Crafton (12th), David Reutimann (13th), Mike Skinner (15th), Dennis Setzer (16th), and Todd Bodine (19th).

With seven laps to go David Starr spun out Bodine. After the race ended, Bodine bumped Starr, then pulled next to him. On pit road, tempers flared and the two crews mixed it up. Bodine, stepped back and seemed to stay out of it.

Bodine said:

[Starr] just doesn’t know when to choke down the reins and slow down a bit.

Starr said:

I don’t have a problem with a driver coming over and wanting to come over and talk to me. But a crew member coming over and putting a finger in my face? That’s a totally different deal. I don’t play that way. To have a crew member come and put my window net down and put a finger in my face, I don’t play that game.

Watch: The spin. The fight.

Jimmie Johnson made his Craftsman Truck Series debut driving the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports entry. He inhereted the lead early, the product of staying out when the leaders pitted. He managed to lead for 29 laps before Busch and his fresher tires prevailed.

On lap 102, Johnson spun, and Jeff Green had nowhere to go and crashed into Johnson, who ended up finishing 34th.

Top 5: Busch, Bodine, Scott Speed, Johnny Benson, and Rick Crawford.

TJ Bell, Mike Skinner, Dennis Setzer, David Stremme, and Ted Musgrave rounded out the top 10.

Notables: Jack Sprague (12th), Erik Darnell (15th), Matt Crafton (21st), Terry Cook (23rd), Ron Hornaday (24th), Patrick Carpentier (25th), Stacy Compton (31st), Ken Schrader (33rd), and Jimmie Johnson (34th).