Kevin Harvick and Gander RV & Outdoors CEO Marcus Lemonis issued a bounty poster in tweet form Saturday.
WANTED: A full-time Cup Series driver to beat Kyle Busch in any of his remaining four Truck Series starts this year (without wrecking him).
REWARD: $50,000 each from Harvick and Lemonis.
The bounty comes the night after Busch won his seventh consecutive Truck Series race, which includes all five starts he made in 2019.
Saturday’s race was his first of five in the trucks this season. He’ll be back in the series March 14 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, March 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, March 27 at Texas Motor Speedway and May 30 at Kansas Speedway.
Busch won at Atlanta and Texas last year.
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
I like this so let’s make this fun. I’ll put up a $50,000 bounty for any full time cup driver who races a truck and can beat @KyleBusch in his next 4 races. #gameon https://twitter.com/warschristine/status/1231265799354097666 …
Christine Ward@WarsChristineReplying to @MikeCurry88 @KevinHarvickI started watching trucks because of Kyle, now I watch whether he is racing or not. The trucks need more viewers and if any of the cup drivers compete, it brings more viewers.
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
Sounds good to me!!! $100,000 grand boys!!! #gameon https://twitter.com/marcuslemonis/status/1231282831705309184 …
Marcus Lemonis✔@marcuslemonis
Hey @KevinHarvick I’ll match that… I’m that comfortable @KyleBusch can’t be beat… @NASCAR_Trucks @GanderRV @NASCAR https://twitter.com/kevinharvick/status/1231266777130127360 …
Busch himself didn’t seem too impressed with the bounty when told about it in the media center.
Davey Segal@DaveyCenterKyle Busch seemed annoyed at the $50K bounty placed on him.
When asked what he’d get if he wins the races: “I don’t know. probably nothing. As usual. Sounds like life.”
“Put money on a bounty on somebody and there’s bad things that tend to happen.”
So what is in it for Busch?
If no full-time Cup driver is able to beat Busch in those four races, the bounty will be given to the Bundle of Joy Fund, the organization founded by Kyle and Samantha Busch that helps couples who require fertility treatments to conceive.
The Bundle of Joy Fund@bundleofjoyfundNow this is a plan! We will be expecting that donation because no one is going to beat our guy @KyleBusch. Please send a check this time because pennies are a chocking hazard to the babies. @KevinHarvick @marcuslemonis @FS1 @NASCARONFOX https://twitter.com/KevinHarvick/status/1231311688537788416 …
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
I like this. No one beats @KyleBusch we donate my $50,000 to @bundleofjoyfund you in @marcuslemonis ? https://twitter.com/coltsharvickfan/status/1231310925484953600 …
Marcus Lemonis✔@marcuslemonis
Absolutely https://twitter.com/kevinharvick/status/1231311688537788416 …
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
I like this. No one beats @KyleBusch we donate my $50,000 to @bundleofjoyfund you in @marcuslemonis ? https://twitter.com/coltsharvickfan/status/1231310925484953600 …
Lemonis wasn’t done there. Later Saturday night, he put another proposition out into the Twitterverse. If Fox Sports moved any of the races to prime time, he’d increase the purse among the top-five finishers to $250,000.
Marcus Lemonis✔@marcuslemonis
If you @NASCARONFOX want to move this to @NASCARONFOX prime time then I’ll put up a much bigger purse for top 5 finishers and we will pack the stands. @NASCAR @GanderRV .. RT to help me make this happen $250k a big enough prime time purse ?? @KyleBusch @KevinHarvick @stevephelps https://twitter.com/nascaronfox/status/1231295504874643456 …
FOX: NASCAR✔@NASCARONFOX
Can @KyleBusch be beat in the @NASCAR_Trucks??@KevinHarvick and @marcuslemonis have put a combined $100,000 bounty on the line.
Needless to say, the original bounty got the attention of a few drivers, including Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin.
Denny Hamlin✔@dennyhamlin
I’ll need some backing from @ToyotaRacing… but I’ll definitely do it. Hell I smoked him in our last Latemodel race
Kyle Busch✔@KyleBusch
“Smoked him”?? I shoulda moved u but let u win your charity race. It’s on next time! https://twitter.com/dennyhamlin/status/1231277499209764864 …
Denny Hamlin✔@dennyhamlin
Replying to @dennyhamlin @DaleJrI’ll need some backing from @ToyotaRacing… but I’ll definitely do it. Hell I smoked him in our last Latemodel race
Denny Hamlin✔@dennyhamlin
Hey @CocaColaRacing. Got a new energy drink you’d like to advertise on a Truck? https://twitter.com/kevinharvick/status/1231266777130127360 …
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
I like this so let’s make this fun. I’ll put up a $50,000 bounty for any full time cup driver who races a truck and can beat @KyleBusch in his next 4 races. #gameon https://twitter.com/warschristine/status/1231265799354097666 …
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
Gotta be fair and square. First FULL TIME CUP driver to beat him. Can’t wreck him, and everything has to be fair as in any other race. Good friendly fun!!! https://twitter.com/austindillon3/status/1231317759595663360 …
Austin Dillon✔@austindillon3
So what are the rules @KevinHarvick ? https://twitter.com/kevinharvick/status/1231311688537788416 …
Austin Dillon✔@austindillon3
Working on it https://twitter.com/accesslacrosse/status/1231324301837701122 …
Access Lacrosse@AccessLacrosse@austindillon3 – I heard there was $100k on the line if you can beat @KyleBusch in a truck … I’m sure @TeamChevy and @RCRracing could put comething together for ya – you got a baby
on the way !! John Hunter Nemechek✔@JHNemechek
I am in for the @NASCAR_Trucks @GanderRV Series at the @TXMotorSpeedway – maybe earlier to challenge. @romcoequipment | @NEMCOMotorsport | #NASCAR https://twitter.com/marcuslemonis/status/1231282831705309184 …
Marcus Lemonis✔@marcuslemonis
Hey @KevinHarvick I’ll match that… I’m that comfortable @KyleBusch can’t be beat… @NASCAR_Trucks @GanderRV @NASCAR https://twitter.com/kevinharvick/status/1231266777130127360 …
Corey LaJoie✔@CoreyLaJoie
Find me a truck twitterverse. https://twitter.com/kevinharvick/status/1231266777130127360 …
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
I like this so let’s make this fun. I’ll put up a $50,000 bounty for any full time cup driver who races a truck and can beat @KyleBusch in his next 4 races. #gameon https://twitter.com/warschristine/status/1231265799354097666 …
Brad Keselowski✔@keselowski
If only we could find the sponsor to do it right or at least at a comparable level.
Lost in all this conversation is the fact that he has been able to land the best sponsor and is still willing to lose money to win races. It’s a commitment he deserves credit for… https://twitter.com/kevinharvick/status/1231266777130127360 …
Kevin Harvick✔@KevinHarvick
I like this so let’s make this fun. I’ll put up a $50,000 bounty for any full time cup driver who races a truck and can beat @KyleBusch in his next 4 races. #gameon https://twitter.com/warschristine/status/1231265799354097666 …
Disclaimer on the following tweet by Hamlin: As noted above, none of Busch’s remaining four truck races are at Richmond Raceway. But…..Richmond is the site of the first Triple Truck Challenge race on April 18.
Denny Hamlin✔@dennyhamlin
So hear there’s a Truck race @RichmondRaceway coming up. KBs last race in this 4 race deal. @ToyotaRacing track,my hometown, might as well book this as a W.. If sponsorship is secured within a week I’m in. KB will go 4-1.
Richmond’s track president, Dennis Bickmeier chimed in with his thoughts.
Richmond Raceway✔@RichmondRaceway
We know a good place for this.
Dennis Bickmeier@RichmondPrezI like where this is heading. @NASCAR_Trucks Challenge race after the regular series truck race. Great way to welcome the trucks back to @RichmondRaceway. Saturday night under the lights….!
