Joe Gibbs Sends Message to Kyle Busch After Contract Split

Getty Joe Gibbs (right) is pulling for Kyle Busch (left).

Kyle Busch will leave Joe Gibbs Racing after 2022, but the team owner has no hard feelings. Joe Gibbs said he is pulling for the two-time Cup Series champion.

Gibbs made the comments after Christopher Bell’s win at the Charlotte Roval on October 9. He met with media members and looked back on the successful tenure with Busch which included two championships and 56 Cup Series wins.

“We talked to Kyle, just told him we’re really pulling for him, [Samantha Busch] and the family,” Gibbs said during his post-race press conference, transcript courtesy of NASCAR PR. “I want the rest of his racing career, this guy is going to win a bunch, we know that. He’s a great competitor.

“When you think about it with us, 15 years, that was awesome. Just really appreciate that so much. We know Mars is leaving, but it was a thrill to be with them for that amount of time.

“I just think we worked hard trying to get everything done there. We couldn’t. I think he’s found a home. I’ll be willing to bet he’s going to be after it next year and he’s going to want to win a bunch of races.”

Busch’s 2023 Campaign Has Been a Talking Point

GettyJoe Gibbs (right) expects to see Kyle Busch (left) contend for wins.

Gibbs focused on showing his support for Busch at the end of his media availability. He also mentioned a storyline that has been a talking point throughout Busch’s contract negotiations.

Gibbs mentioned during his presser that Busch is “going to be after it” during the 2023 season. He expects to see the Las Vegas native in contention for numerous wins during his first year with Richard Childress Racing.

This is a similar sentiment to one expressed by Toyota Racing Development USA President David Wilson. The executive met with media members ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in August, and he did not mince words when discussing his desire to keep Busch in the Toyota fold.

“Within the reasonable bounds of a manufacturer in the sport, we are doing what we can to try to keep Kyle in our family,” Wilson explained on August 27, video courtesy of NBC Sports’ Dustin Long. “This is not just an offensive consideration. I don’t want to race against a pissed-off Kyle Busch. Whenever he lands he’s going to do some damage.”

Busch Ultimately Left Toyota Racing

GettyKyle Busch will leave Toyota Racing & Joe Gibbs Racing.

Gibbs and Wilson both wanted to see Busch return to the No. 18 Toyota Camry TRD for the 16th consecutive season, and they wanted to watch as he contended for his 61st career win.

This did not occur. JGR could not get a deal done with the two-time champion, which will result in him leaving the No. 18 and Toyota Racing at the end of the 2022 Cup Series season.

Busch will move over to Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet Performance for his age-38 season. He will try to secure his 61st career Cup Series win in 2023, which would break his tie with Hall of Famer Richard Petty for the most consecutive seasons with a win.

Prior to making this move, however, Busch will pursue more wins in the No. 18 Toyota. He is fresh off a third-place finish at the Charlotte Roval, and he has four races remaining in the 2022 season. He will take on Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway, four tracks where he has eight combined wins.