March 31, 2022 | By Lee Spencer

Buddy Kofoid is ready for his Camping World Truck coming-out party on Bristol dirt

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid is ready to play in the NASCAR dirt.

Kofoid will pilot the No. 51 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports at the Bristol Dirt Track on April 16.

The defending USAC National midget champion and Toyota Racing Develop prospect is looking forward to his stock truck debut.

“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.”

The 20-year-old Penngrove, Calif., native scored six midget victories en route to the 2021 USAC and Indiana Midget week title. He bolstered his open-wheel efforts with nine feature wins in the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget Series as well as the Trophy Cup Sprint Car Race at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. Kofoid followed up that run by winning the first two nights of the Wild Wing Shootout at Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley against stout sprint car competition.

As part of his development, Kofoid competed in a variety of late-model events with a top result of third in the Pro Late Model division at the All-American 400 at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tenn.

Kofoid was one of the favorites entering this year’s Chili Bowl Nationals. He held off Kyle Larson to win his qualifier, then finished fourth in Saturday’s A-Main at Tulsa Expo Center. In Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget competition this year, Kofoid has won two of the first three events including Toyota’s 400th national dirt midget victory March 25 at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Kofoid will pilot the same chassis (KBM-12) that Martin Truex Jr. drove to Victory Lane at Bristol last spring. Crew chief Marty Lindley will continue to oversee the No. 51 team’s efforts. The truck is currently fourth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Standings. KBM has a successful history on dirt with two wins at Eldora featuring Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell behind the wheel.

“I’m excited about that,” Bell said of Kofoid’s debut. “Buddy is a really deserving driver, so I’m really excited about his opportunity to break into NASCAR. I’m expecting big things from him. Bristol dirt is a unique race and a unique track, and I think he will shine.”