Gibbs to honor Kyle Busch with M&M's livery at Bristol

Mars, Incorporated will make a special return to NASCAR competition with its M&M’s brand to honor Kyle Busch at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Busch’s widow, Samantha, announced Thursday through social media that M&M’s will sponsor the No. 54 Toyota of Ty Gibbs next month. The car will not only have its recognizable colors, but will feature a mosaic of moments from the two-time Cup Series champion’s career. Busch was sponsored by Mars throughout his tenure at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Mars, however, departed from the sport after the 2022 season (main image). It ended up being Busch’s final year driving for Gibbs.

“Some moments in racing become part of history, and for Kyle, so many of those moments happened under the lights at Bristol,” Samantha Busch narrated in the video posted on social media. “Bristol wasn’t just another race to him; he loved everything about that place: the intensity, the energy, the fans, and the challenge of racing there. Some of the greatest moments of his career happened on that track in the yellow M&M’s car, which became such an iconic part of Kyle’s legacy. 

“It was so much more than a paint scheme. Kyle became the M&M’s guy. Over the years, we heard countless stories from fans about them or their kids cheering for the M&M’s car before they even knew who was behind the wheel. Those bright colors brought so many people to Kyle and to the sport, and somewhere along the way, the car and Kyle just became synonymous with each other. It’s a paint scheme I think so many of us will always see and immediately think of him.”

Busch unexpectedly passed on May 21 from pneumonia that turned into sepsis. He was 41 years old.

Busch was also synonymous with Bristol Motor Speedway. He won there eight times in the Cup Series, nine times in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and five times in the Craftsman Truck Series.

Among the highlights also include sweeping all three races at the track in the same weekend in 2010 and 2017. It had never been done before and hasn’t been done since. 

“Seeing Mars and Joe Gibbs Racing come together to honor Kyle this way is incredibly emotional for me,” said Samantha. “The M&M’s car holds so many memories from our life together, and seeing it back on the track knowing Kyle won’t be the one behind the wheel is going to be both heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. To see the No. 54 car carry those iconic colors again, filled with moments from Kyle’s incredible career, feels like bringing a piece of him back to the track that he loved so much. 

“Kyle loved Bristol, and Bristol loved Kyle. Being back with our NASCAR family under the lights to celebrate his life, his career, and the memories he gave all of us is something we will never forget. I know he will be right there with us that night.”