Kyle Busch Motorsports announced on Wednesday, Dec. 11, its crew chief lineup for the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season.
Ryan “Rudy” Fugle will lead the No. 18 Toyota Tundra, which will be driven by Christian Eckes. He’s guided his team to five owner championships, including Erik Jones‘ and Christopher Bell‘s driver/owner championships in 2015 and 2017.
Mike Hillman Jr., a two-time Truck Series champion crew chief, will direct Raphael Lessard’s No. 4 truck.
New to the organization will be Danny Stockman, who will guide the No. 51 truck’s pursuit of an owner’s championship. Stockman served as Austin Dillon’s NASCAR Cup Series crew chief in 2019, as well as during Dillon’s 2011 Truck Series and 2013 Xfinity Series championships. Stockman’s main experience has come in the Xfinity Series, where his drivers have earned seven wins, 80 top fives and 148 top 10s from 2012 to 2018.
Via the release, it was revealed that Kyle Busch and Chandler Smith will drive the No. 51 in 2020, with other drivers to be named. Smith, who turns 18 in June, cannot compete in the full schedule until then.
The 2020 Truck Series season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday, Feb. 14.
About the author
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.
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Stockman has to be thrilled to get away from Austin Dillon’s whining. At least his equipment will be top notch and a chance to win. He didn’t have that possibility with the wannabe.