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Image Credit: Imago
Imago
Image Credit: Imago
Every form of motorsport has a tier system where younger drivers progress up the ranks. For NASCAR, one would say that the ARCA is a feeder series. Though it does beg the question, does that also apply to the O’Reilly and Truck Series? Dale Earnhardt Jr. is someone who works on helping grassroots programs in racing. The legend finally shared his opinion on this debate, and his take may not sit well with a lot of Cup drivers, especially Kyle Busch.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. dealt a blow to Kyle Busch’s dreams
“It wasn’t a series established for veterans like guys that had kind of on the tail end of their Cup careers or whatever. Now that’s who came in to race these trucks. It also presented opportunities for guys like Skinner, Hornaday. Wasn’t created as a playground for veterans. The O’Reilly’s Series is born out of the Sportsman Car Series that raced in the late 70s,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr.
JR Motorsports operates in the non-Cup Series and has already helped give NASCAR some talented drivers like Rajah Caruth. This stems from Junior’s strong belief in the growth of grassroots; however, the same is not the case with everyone.
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“You started seeing some of the younger guys come in, trying to get recognised and noticed for that Cup opportunity,” Earnhardt Jr. added. “The original identity of both the Trucks and the O’Reilly’s Series are far different. What they’ve transformed into is absolutely your minor league. Your Triple A, Double A, Single A, that is what they serve at this point in time.”
The Truck Series, especially according to Earnhardt, has lost its purpose. “There are some people out there that feel like the O’Reilly Series and the Truck Series are not feeder series. They’re not minor league. Here’s what I believe the truth is on that. The Truck Series was developed for one single reason – to sell trucks,” remarked Earnhardt Jr. “For the truck manufacturers in the world to have an outlet to race their product and sell it. That was the reason.”
But for Kyle Busch, competing in non-Cup, especially the Truck Series races, means a lot more.
Historically, Rowdy was a regular feature in Xfinity Series races, but this changed when NASCAR introduced a rule to limit the number of veteran Cup drivers in non-Cup competitions. However, Busch is still competing in Truck Series races, with his most recent win coming at the Echo Park Speedway.
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice Feb 13, 2026 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Cup Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach, Daytona International Speedway, Florida, USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20260213_mjr_su5_049
The limitation in the number of races a Cup Series driver was allowed to race in the Truck and O’Reilly Series was a step to prevent drivers like Busch from using the non-Cup races as a practice platform. However, having won the most Truck Series races, Busch’s goal is to win the championship to become the first driver to have won all three major NASCAR Series as a driver, and while it is tough to achieve now, Busch has a plan.
“I would say in a perfect world, I’ve kind of dreamt this up a little bit, I would retire from Cup racing when Brexton is 15, run a full truck series season to see if I can win a truck series championship,” said Busch in an old interview with Jason Stein.
His success in the Truck and O’Reilly Series has helped him massively in his career. However, his form in the non-Cup races is not translating well into Sundays this season.
Having secured two Cup Series titles in his career, Busch is one of the most legendary drivers in NASCAR, renowned for his style and charisma. But as the 2026 season has progressed, things have not looked great between him and the team at Richard Childress Racing.
The driver has openly shown his disappointment after the poor start to the season, and his future as a Cup driver seems to be in question. Undoubtedly, the 40-year-old still has the competitive edge to race in the Xfinity Series, but fans would certainly want to see Busch perform better in Cup Series races, as that is what many people were familiar with when they heard the name ‘Rowdy.’
