USAC midget champ Buddy Kofoid enters Bristol Trucks dirt race

Kofoid, a 20-year-old native of California, will drive the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports on the dirt-covered half-mile oval.

For the Bristol Dirt Race, Kofoid is slated to drive the same chassis that Martin Truex Jr. led 105 laps en route to his victory in the inaugural Bristol Trucks dirt race last season.

“Getting the opportunity to race the best equipment in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a huge step in my career and I can’t thank Kyle Busch Motorsports, Mobil 1 and Toyota enough for giving me this chance,” Kofoid said.

“To be making my Truck Series debut in such a unique event at an iconic venue like Bristol Motor Speedway is going to be really cool.”

USAC midget national champion Buddy Kofoid

Photo by: Kyle Busch Motorsports

Kofoid won the 2021 USAC midget title behind six wins. He also won nine feature races in the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget Series and several other high-profile midget races.

In addition, he also began transitioning to pavement racing, running more than 10 Late Model races, highlighted by his third-place finish in the Pro Late Model division at the All-American 400 in Nashville, Tenn.

Kofoid is off to a strong start to the 2022 dirt season, out-dueling reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson to win his qualifying night feature at the Chili Bowl. He went on to finish fourth main event.

He has already scored two victories across the first three events of the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget schedule, including Toyota’s 400th national dirt midget victory March 25 at I-44 Riverside Speedway. After four events in the USAC Midget National championship standings, the reigning champion sits second in the standings.

KBM’s No. 51 Truck team is fourth in the 2022 series owner’s standings. Corey Heim became the 17th different KBM driver to win a Truck race with his victory earlier this month in the No. 51 at Atlanta.