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New sponsor or not, Kyle Busch isn't looking beyond JGR
Kyle Busch isn’t antsy about Joe Gibbs Racing signing a new sponsor for his team but would have liked to have had something solidified “yesterday.”
Last summer, Mars, Inc. informed the Gibbs organization that it would end its sponsorship of the No. 18 Toyota team -- and leave NASCAR altogether -- at the end of the 2022 season. The company has been involved in the sport for three decades and has been a partner with Gibbs since 2008. That was the same year that Busch joined the team.
One Mars brand, M&M’s, has been a recognizable scheme in the Cup Series with drivers like Busch, Ken Schrader and Ernie Irvan. It has also been the primary on Busch’s Toyota in over 20 races for the past few years.
“If it happens, it happens,” Busch said of signing a new sponsor. “If it don’t, it don’t. Goodbye.”
Is goodbye an option?
“Ask Joe Gibbs,” said Busch.
Busch signed a multi-year contract extension with Gibbs in 2019. When it was made public about the impending departure of Mars, team officials said Busch’s future with the team was secure.
“Got to sell (the car),” Busch said. “If you don’t sell it, then there’s nothing to have.”
Busch said “ask Joe Gibbs” about whether the organization would let him or find a place for him. The two-time Cup Series champion, who scored his 60th career win last weekend at Bristol, doesn’t believe there would be another landing spot for him should a new sponsor deal not materialize with Gibbs.
“Probably not,” Busch said.
However, Busch has no plans to retire or look at competing in another series.
“No, I’ll probably be Brexton Busch’s truck driver,” Busch said.
Kelly Crandall
Kelly has been on the NASCAR beat full-time since 2013, and joined RACER as chief NASCAR writer in 2017. Her work has also appeared in NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Illustrated magazine, and NBC Sports. A corporate communications graduate from Central Penn College, Crandall is a two-time George Cunningham Writer of the Year recipient from the National Motorsports Press Association.
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