Since joining the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as a full-time team owner in 1992, Joe Gibbs, former coach of the Washington Redskins, has built one of the most successful empires in NASCAR history, boasting seven championships and 375+ victories in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. One partner that has been along for the three-decade ride is Interstate Batteries, which announced on Friday that the company would continue one of the longest relationships in professional sports.
The battery marketing and distribution company will adorn Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Camry in six NASCAR Cup Series events in 2022, while also expanding into the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Ty Gibbs, grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, for three events. At the time of the announcement, Gibbs’ car number and the sponsor schedule for Interstate Batteries have gone unannounced.
“Norm and Tommy (Miller) really took a chance on us because we literally had nothing when we first went to see them. No race shop. No driver. No crew chief. It was just a dream on a sheet of paper,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “To have a successful partnership for more than three decades it first has to work for business, and I love that part of it. You have to prove value for your partners. But it is the relationships built over time that makes this so special. From Norm and Tommy to the leadership now of Scott (Miller), as well as Lain (Hancock) running operations. Of course, on our end, it’s been J.D. (Gibbs), and now it’s Coy (Gibbs), and of course, we have the grandkids coming. When you reflect on all that has happened over the years and everyone that has been involved, I really think God had a role in bringing us together.”
Interstate Batteries has been a significant part of nearly every single milestone for Joe Gibbs Racing, including Dale Jarrett’s victory in the 1993 Daytona 500, and three of the organization’s five NASCAR Cup Series championships with Bobby Labonte (2000), and Kyle Busch (2015 and 2019). Sunday’s AutoTrader Echo Park Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway will be the 595th NASCAR Cup Series race for the partnership, which has resulted in 32 victories at NASCAR’s top-level, nine of which have been accumulated by the current pilot of the Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Kyle Busch.
“We could not be more excited to continue our 30 plus year relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Norm Miller, Chairman, and Owner of Interstate Batteries. “They have consistently been great partners in the battery business and ministry, so it just makes sense for us to all continue together. We are also hoping Kyle Busch and the No.18 Interstate Batteries/M&M’s team can win another NASCAR Cup Championship in a few weeks!”
“The 30 years we’ve spent with JGR as a sponsor on the No.18 in the NASCAR Cup Series has helped establish trust, awareness, and credibility for the Interstate Batteries brand with the pros who install our batteries.,” said Lain Hancock, Chief Operating Officer, Interstate Batteries. “As we approach our 70th year in business, we are excited to partner with Coach Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing to write more history together in NASCAR and the automotive aftermarket.”
