April 17, 2022 | By Lee Spencer

Buddy Kofoid impresses in maiden truck voyage

BRISTOL, Tenn.—Buddy Kofoid’s Camping World Truck Series coming out party didn’t feature the ending he had hoped for, but his presence was undeniable.

The 2021 USAC National Midget champion rallied from 32nd to third over the course of the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt.

Unfortunately, an ill-timed crossover with 10 laps remaining relegated Kofoid to 27th at the checkers.

“I felt like we had plenty of speed today in our Mobil 1 Tundra,” Kofoid said. “Being my first time in something that heavy – especially on dirt – I felt like we had a strong showing for sure. I think that last stage I felt like we were too free. We were about a third- or fourth-place truck, but then the guys that pitted – they started coming on like we figured.”

After the first stage, Kofoid was running 17th on Lap 41. He gained two spots when the race returned to green and was 11th after passing Matt Crafton on Lap 51. Following the third caution on Lap 55, Kofoid climbed into the top 10 over the next 10 circuits.

Kofoid had several factors going in his favor. Not only was he driving the Kyle Busch Motorsports truck that Martin Truex Jr. wheeled to Victory Lane in the event last year, but crew chief Mardy Lindley also was calling the shots, as he had done for Truex in 2021.

Derek Kneeland, who spotted for Kyle Larson and currently works with Tyler Reddick, provided Kofoid’s eyes in the sky. But Buddy’s secret weapon was Toyota Racing’s most successful development graduate, Christopher Bell, who encouraged the driver on the radio throughout his maiden voyage in trucks.

At the end of Stage 2, Kofoid ran seventh. When Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski pitted following the segment, Kofoid advanced to fifth for the Lap 92 restart. Following the fifth caution—and a red flag when Austin Wayne Self locked onto Matt DiBenedetto’s bumper and could not detach—Kofoid was challenging Parker Kligerman for third.

While Kofoid was maintaining his presence in the top four, Rhodes was coming on new tires and caught the No. 51Tundra prior to the sixth yellow flag. Kofoid was still working on Kligerman when Christian Eckes turned Chandler Smith six laps later. Working the top of the track, Rhodes reached Kofoid with 12 circuits remaining and pulled a slider just inches from the No. 51 truck’s nose. Kofoid responded with a crossover move in Turn 2 and spun around.

“Eventually Rhodes got to me and was trying to slide me and eventually was going to make it work,” Kofoid said. “I don’t know if we made any contact or not, but when he slid in front of me, I thought we touched a little bit in the left front.

“When I tried to come back down, it got the attitude of the truck kind of jacked up, and with kind of already being on the free side, it was enough to kind of finish me off. Just kind of a tough deal and very unfortunate, but more or less just a racing deal.”

After the fact, Kofoid admitted he was probably a little too free to be that aggressive. Rhodes went on to win, but the race was a tremendous learning experience for Kofoid.

“I felt like we had plenty of speed and made great adjustments,” Kofoid said. “We made a gamble with the strategy at the stage and it almost worked. Just sucks to end it like that.”