Kyle Busch Motorsports has signed 16-year-old Snowball Derby winner Erik Jones. Jones will compete in five races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving the No. 51 Toyota.
Jones beat Busch to win the 45th annual Snowball Derby. Last year he competed in the ARCA Racing Series runing 10 races and scoring four top-five finishes.
“I’ve been around Erik a few times running late models, he’s a good kid and a good driver, so we’re excited to be adding him to the crop of young talent we’ve assembled at KBM this season,” Busch said. “He did a nice job practicing my late model at Nashville last year for the All-American 400 and then he raced me hard and clean in the closing laps of the Snowball Derby to win that race. Doing those types of things is how you get recognized in this sport.”
Jones will make his debut at Martinsville on April 6. He is also slated to drive for KBM at Rockingham, both Iowa races and a track yet to be determined.
“Kyle is a driver that I have always looked up to and have a lot of respect for, so to be able to make my Truck Series debut in one of his Tundras is something I would have never imagined,” Jones said. “This is definitely the biggest opportunity of my career. I’ve always wanted to drive in NASCAR, so I am really looking forward to getting on the track in Martinsville in a few weeks and being able to evaluate where I stand against the great mix of veterans and young talent that the Truck Series offers.”
KBM also has Joey Coulter and Parker Kligerman, who are both 22 signed to contracts. Bubba Wallace, 19, is driving for KBM in the truck series.
