One of the most emotional moments of NASCAR’s North Wilkesboro weekend won’t come when the green flag waves. It’ll come when Chase Elliott climbs into a truck that was never supposed to be available.
Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series FaithFest 250 marks Elliott’s first Truck Series start since the 2023 season opener at Daytona. But this isn’t simply a one-off appearance. He’s taking over the No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet that Kyle Busch had originally planned to drive before his death in May.
North Wilkesboro was one of four remaining Truck Series races on Busch’s 2026 schedule, making this weekend another poignant reminder of the races the two-time Cup Series champion never had the opportunity to complete.
Chase Elliott steps into one of Kyle Busch’s final scheduled Truck Series starts
Before the 2026 season began, Busch’s Truck Series schedule included eight races with Spire Motorsports after NASCAR increased the participation limit for experienced full-time Cup Series drivers from five races to eight.
Busch completed four of those starts before his death. He won at EchoPark Speedway, added another victory at Dover Motor Speedway less than a week before he died, and also competed at Bristol Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.
Corey Day filled the No. 07 Chevrolet the weekend after Busch’s passing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while Rajah Caruth drove the truck at Nashville Superspeedway. Now, Elliott will become the third driver to take over the ride Busch had planned to race this season.
North Wilkesboro was originally slated to be Busch’s second-to-last Truck Series appearance before a planned return at Richmond Raceway next month. Spire Motorsports has not yet announced who will drive the truck in that event.
Why Chase Elliott feels like a fitting choice
Beyond simply replacing Busch in the seat, Elliott brings a connection that makes the assignment especially meaningful.
Following Busch’s death, Elliott publicly advocated for Busch to receive the NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award posthumously. The gesture carried extra significance given Elliott’s own history with the award. He has won NASCAR’s fan-voted honor eight consecutive times, while his father, Bill Elliott, captured it 16 times.
The Elliott family also understands the emotions surrounding the loss of an active NASCAR superstar. After Dale Earnhardt died in the 2001 Daytona 500, Bill Elliott withdrew his name from that year’s Most Popular Driver ballot. Busch’s passing marked the first death of an active Cup Series driver since Earnhardt.
That history gives Saturday’s start added significance. Elliott isn’t just filling an open seat. He’s taking over a truck that Busch had planned to race, continuing a schedule that was cut tragically short.
The FaithFest 250 is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, at 12:30 p.m. ET at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The race will be televised on FS1.
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