Ty Gibbs will pay tribute to late NASCAR driver Kyle Busch when he competes in a car with the iconic M&M’s paint scheme at the Cup Series race next month at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Busch’s widow, Samantha, announced Thursday that Gibbs would drive his No. 54 car with Busch’s colors on “one of Kyle’s favorite tracks.”
Kyle Busch died on May 21 at the age of 41 due to severe pneumonia that led to sepsis.
“Going back without him will be heartbreaking. He should be there,” Samantha Busch said of returning to the Tennessee track.
“But I’m so grateful to be able to tell you that those iconic M&M’S colors will be coming back to Bristol, one last time, on the 54 car. It’s a chance to honor him at a place he loved so much, surrounded by our NASCAR family and the fans who loved him too. I know Kyle would want us to be there, to keep showing up, keep racing, and keep carrying his legacy forward.”
Busch drove in the No. 18 car for 15 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing (2008-22) before shifting to Richard Childress Racing in 2023. He fared well in Bristol, winning eight Cup Series races and 22 times in NASCAR’s three series,
Mars Inc., the maker of M&M’s, was a longtime sponsor of Busch. He won 47 NASCAR races in the candy-themed car.
The Bristol race is set for Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
“Excited for Bristol. Gonna be a cool 1,” Gibbs wrote on Instagram.
“So honored to drive this,” he added.
Gibbs, 23, resides second in the Cup Series standings after a win last weekend at Iowa Speedway.
