There won’t be a dry eye in the house. On Thursday, Samantha Busch announced via a video posted on her social media channels that M&M’s and Joe Gibbs Racing have collaborated on a special tribute to her late husband, Kyle Busch.
At the Bristol Motor Speedway Night Racing in September, a race that Busch had so many iconic moments in during his illustrious NASCAR Cup Series career, Ty Gibbs will carry a special M&M’s paint scheme on his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE.
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
Samantha Busch says that the M&M’s colors and Kyle Busch became synonymous with each other throughout the years, and seeing the colors back on track without her husband driving the car will be an emotional rollercoaster.
“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.”
The M&M’s car that Gibbs is set to pilot at Bristol Motor Speedway will carry photos from Busch’s legendary NASCAR career, which will be embedded within the colorful M&M’s design in a mosaic form. Knowing that Busch’s moments are included in the paint scheme allows Samantha Busch to feel at peace knowing that a piece of Kyle will be on the concrete high banks in the 500-lap race.
“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.”
Busch, the 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion, recorded an all-time record 234 victories between NASCAR’s National Series divisions (NASCAR Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and Craftsman Truck Series).
On May 21, the racing legend passed away at the age of 41 following a brief but intense illness that led to sepsis.
