Winning races made Kyle Busch Motorsports a powerhouse. Giving overlooked drivers a shot at NASCAR’s big leagues made it more than that. For young racers with talent but little money, KBM offered a chance to prove they belonged. Now, Samantha Busch wants to bring that opportunity back.

Watching son Brexton compete at the grassroots level has given Samantha a close look at the financial hurdles young drivers face. Some have the speed but lack the resources to climb the ladder. After Kyle’s death, the idea of giving those racers a break has taken on a deeper meaning for her.

“There’s so many nights that I’m like, ‘Gosh darn it, I wish we still had KBM,’ so that we could have this truck team, and instead of having the All-Star truck, we could get a really cool sponsor, and it would be the truck of chances, right?” Samantha shared on her YouTube channel. “Maybe you have to prove yourself at these races or whatever, and you get two or three starts in the truck to see what you can do, and maybe that puts your name out there for other people, other teams, whatever.

“There are so many nights that I’m like, “Oh man, that would be cool,” because I think Kyle would like that, right? Like Kyle grew up working hard like that. Kyle gave kids a chance that didn’t always have the funding. And that would be important for me for his legacy because I think that would make him really proud.”

Samantha’s proposal reflects the circumstances in which both she and Kyle grew up. Kyle’s father sold Mac Tools, while his mother worked as a school secretary. Samantha’s father worked in construction, and her mother was a nurse. Neither family could take hard work for granted. Kyle spent time in the garage with his father, Tom, while Samantha was waitressing at 14.

Those experiences shaped their understanding of what it takes to pursue an ambition without unlimited resources. Through Brexton’s racing, Samantha has seen how money can determine whether a talented youngster gets to move up a series. Her proposed truck program would offer selected drivers two or three starts to demonstrate their ability in competitive equipment, potentially attracting attention from teams and sponsors.

It is an idea rooted in what KBM accomplished across 14 Truck Series seasons, from 2010 through 2023. Kyle Busch Motorsports recorded 100 NASCAR Truck Series victories before Spire Motorsports acquired its assets in September 2023. The organization also won seven owner championships, a series record. Kyle himself scored 48 of those 100 victories, making the team a formidable force while developing talent beyond its own driver’s seat.

Erik Jones remains one of the clearest examples of that approach working. In 2012, Jones beat Busch to win the Snowball Derby, a prestigious Super Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Rather than treating the defeat as just another result, Busch recognized the teenager’s potential and gave him an opportunity in a KBM truck the following year.

Jones made five Truck Series starts in 2013 and won at Phoenix, becoming the youngest winner in series history at the time. He returned for a partial schedule in 2014 before winning the 2015 Truck Series championship at just 19. His rise continued through Joe Gibbs Racing’s development program and into the Cup Series. Busch had lost to Jones on the track, but he helped turn that young driver’s breakthrough into a career.

Jones was not alone. Christopher Bell won the 2017 Truck Series championship driving for KBM before progressing to the Cup Series. William Byron and Bubba Wallace also raced for Busch’s organization before becoming established Cup competitors. Daniel Suárez, Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland are among the other drivers whose careers included time in KBM equipment. Their paths differed, but the team provided a valuable platform to gain experience, earn results, and attract attention at the national level.

KBM’s story also remains visible in the Truck Series today. Spire Motorsports acquired the organization’s assets following the 2023 season, carrying forward a connection to the operation that had helped shape its own truck program. In October 2026, Spire paid tribute to that history at Charlotte Motor Speedway with special paint schemes honoring KBM’s first and 100th victories.

Connor Mosack drove a No. 7 Chevrolet inspired by the black-and-red truck Kyle used to score KBM’s 100th and final Truck Series win at Pocono in 2023. Rajah Caruth’s No. 77 Chevrolet carried a scheme recalling the yellow-and-black truck from KBM’s first victory at Nashville in 2010. The tribute connected the team’s bookends, celebrating the wins while acknowledging the people and careers built along the way.

Samantha’s idea remains a vision rather than a confirmed racing program. But its purpose is unmistakable: give talented young drivers a chance to show what they can do before a lack of funding shuts the door. KBM proved that a team could chase victories while building careers. A revival built around that same principle could help another generation reach the Cup Series, extending Kyle Busch’s legacy through the drivers who get their chance because of it.