Kyle Busch's famous M&M’s paint scheme adorns Ty Gibbs’ car during Bristol race
Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 M&M's Kyle Busch Tribute Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 19, 2026 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The memory of Kyle Busch shined bright under the lights of Bristol Motor Speedway as the M&M’s color scheme the late NASCAR driver made famous returned to the circuit he once dominated.
Big picture view:
To honor Busch, who died in May at 41, the No. 54 Toyota owned by Joe Gibbs Racing and driven by Ty Gibbs bore a special version of the colorful M&M’s paint job for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Busch spent most of his career with Joe Gibbs Racing, winning both his NASCAR championships with the team.
The mosaicked scheme featured Saturday night highlighted some of the top moments of Busch’s career, many of which happened around Bristol’s half-mile short track. During a ceremony before the race, Samantha Busch and their two children, Brexton and Lennix, remembered Kyle and talked about his connection to Bristol.
What they're saying:
"Bristol was always one of Kyle’s favorite tracks," Samantha wrote last month when announcing the return of the M&M’s colors. "He loved racing under the lights and 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 there without him will be heartbreaking," she added. "He should be there."
"[The team] came to me wanting to run it and the family wanted to run it, too, and [M&M’s parent company] Mars did, too. There were a lot of people wanting to do it, and I was the one chosen to do it," Gibbs told FOX Sports.
The backstory:
The special livery marked a reunion between Mars, the candy and snack giant that owns M&M’s, and Joe Gibbs Racing. According to NASCAR.com, Busch won 56 times in his 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing and 47 of his 63 career Cup Series wins came with Mars-related designs on his No. 18 car.
What's next:
Gibbs led 120 of the 500 laps of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race before slipping down to fifth place in the final laps. The NASCAR Chase will resume on Sunday, September 27, with the Hollywood Casino 400, in Kansas City, Kansas.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from Samantha Busch’s announcement on Instagram, FOX Sports, and NASCAR.com. This story was reported from Orlando.