Buddy Kofoid will make his NASCAR debut in the Camping World Truck Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 16.
The 20-year-old Californian won the 2021 USAC Midget National Championship with six wins in addition to nine wins in the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget Series. Kofoid made 10 late model starts last season and finished third in the All-American 400 in the Pro Late Model division at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville.
“Having the opportunity to drive the best gear in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a huge milestone in my career and I can’t thank Kyle Busch Motorsports, Mobil 1 and Toyota enough for giving me this chance,” said Kofoid. in a press. Release. “Making my Truck Series debut at such a unique event at an iconic venue like Bristol Motor Speedway is going to be really cool.”
Kofoid finished fourth in the A final of the 2022 Chile Bowl Nationals and held off two-time defending race champion and defending Cup champion Kyle Larson to win his qualifying race.
Kofoid won two of the first three events on Lucas Oil POWRi’s National Midget calendar, including Toyota’s 400th National Midget victory on March 25 at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City. He is second in the USAC Midget National Championship standings after four events.
In his first NASCAR start, Kofoid will drive the same chassis that Martin Truex Jr. led 105 laps and won last year’s first truck race on Bristol dirt. Team manager Mardy Lindley, who also called the shots for Truex in 2021, will be back at the top of the box this season. KBM has also won twice at Eldora Speedway with Bubba Wallace (2014) and Christopher Bell (2015).