M&M's, JGR to Pay Tribute to Kyle Busch At Bristol Night Race

M&M's and Joe Gibbs Racing will join forces to pay tribute to the fallen Kyle Busch with a special paint scheme at the Night Race at Bristol next month.

M&M's will pay special tribute to Kyle Busch with this No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at the Bristol Night Race. | Samantha Busch

It's been roughly three months since the loss of racing legend Kyle Busch. And up around the corner is the Bristol Night Race, a race that Busch gave many of his best performances in. Next month, Busch will be on the minds of many, due to his past success at the 0.533-mile short track, but also because M&M's, his former longtime sponsor, is going all-out on paying tribute to the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

On Thursday, Samantha Busch, the widow of Kyle Busch, made the official announcement that M&M's, which departed NASCAR sponsorship at the end of the 2022 season, is returning to serve as the primary sponsor of Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team for one last event -- the Bristol Night Race on Saturday, September 19.

Bristol was always one of Kyle’s favorite tracks. He loved racing under the lights, found so much success there, and the iconic M&M’S car holds some of the best memories of his career and our life together.
 
Going back without him will be heartbreaking. He should be there. But… pic.twitter.com/gNfIa4UeEg

— Samantha Busch (@SamanthaBusch) August 13, 2026

Gibbs will pilot a special throwback paint scheme reminiscent of the one that Busch carried to victory lane so many times in his career. For Samantha Busch, seeing the colors back on track will be equal parts special and sad.

"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 explained. "Seeing Mars and Joe Gibbs Racing come together to honor Kyle this way is incredibly emotional for me. 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."

Embedded within the colorful design is a photo mosaic of moments throughout Busch's life and career. Samantha Busch encourages everyone to show up to Bristol, where she, along with M&M's and Joe Gibbs Racing, will honor the legacy of her husband.

"To see the number 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," Busch said. "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. I hope you'll join us on Saturday, September 19th, as we celebrate Kyle together. I'll see you back in Bristol."

Over the course of his career, Busch captured nine victories at Bristol Motor Speedway (eight on the concrete short track and one on the dirt layout) in the NASCAR Cup Series. Busch also scored nine NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series wins and five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins at the 0.533-mile Tennessee short track.

Busch, who amassed 63 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series and an all-time record 234 wins across NASCAR's National Series divisions, perished after a brief bout with severe pneumonia, which resulted in sepsis on May 21. Busch was just 41 years old.