Two drivers (so far) have stepped up to try and claim the $100,000 bounty to beat Kyle Busch.
GMA Racing announced Thursday that Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson will join their truck lineup and try to win the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series bounty that Kevin Harvick and Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis put on Kyle Busch last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Elliott will compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March and Kansas Speedway in May. Larson will compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March.
“Once the word got out about the challenge, we were able to put this together with Mike Beam at GMS in just a couple of days,” said Elliott. “Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks, so I’m really looking forward to getting back into a GMS truck there with Hooters on the truck and make a run for a win.”
Elliott, a Dawsonville, GA. native has 13 starts in the Truck series with two previous starts for GMS Racing including a top-five finish at Atlanta in 2017 and a win from the pole at Martinsville in 2017.
Homestead’s Gander Trucks event will be Larson’s 14th series start. Larson has three previous starts with GMS Racing in 2016 including a win at Eldora and a top-five finish at Homestead.
“When I heard about the $100,000 bounty I wanted in!” said Larson. “I’m thankful for GMS and Chevy giving me this opportunity, Homestead is one of my favorite tracks so looking for to the challenge!”
After Busch’s 57th career Gander Trucks victory last Friday night at Las Vegas, Harvick took to twitter and offered up a $50,000 bounty for any full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver who can find a truck ride and beat Busch in one of his remaining four events.
Las Vegas was one of five races Busch is permitted to compete in during the 2020 Gander Truck Series season. Others on his schedule include Atlanta, Homestead, Texas Motor Speedway (March 27) and Kansas Speedway (May 30).
The ante was raised when Lemonis committed to matching Harvick’s bounty, putting a full total of $100,000 on the table.
“Well, there just better be an asterisk on it because if somebody crashes me, it doesn’t count,” Busch said after his win. “Put money on a bounty on somebody and then bad things tend to happen. I don’t know. Make it whatever y’all want. It don’t matter to me.
“I’ve got great stuff, I’m a good driver. Bring it.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.