The top three NASCAR series will head to Darlington Raceway on May 7-9 for Throwback Weekend, its first time moving to the spring. The fan-favorite slate of races will feature historic paint schemes, including a special M&M’s scheme on Kyle Busch‘s stock car. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the iconic brand as Busch strives to reach Victory Lane.
JGR unveiled the new design Tuesday morning and provided multiple looks at the special paint scheme. The yellow car features the classic red and yellow lentils, as well as chocolatey-brown numbers on the roof and doors. A special message highlights several parts of the scheme and says: “Celebrating 80 Years!”
Joe Gibbs RacingThe No. 18 Toyota Camry
To cap off the special design, the yellow car features older versions of the special mascots on the rear fenders. The front of the vehicle will feature the primary M&M’s colors — red, green, blue, orange, and yellow. M&M’s said in a press release that the company wanted to celebrate the last 80 years, which includes Busch’s two Cup Series championships.
Busch regularly makes waves with his paint schemes
NASCAR fans love watching races to see the special schemes on their favorite drivers’ cars, especially during Throwback Weekend. Busch is often at the forefront of discussions while highlighting the history of Snickers, Skittles, or Interstate Batteries. His schemes even prompt the creation of slideshows that highlight his best designs. 2021’s Throwback Weekend scheme is only the latest example.
Joe Gibbs RacingKyle Busch’s Throwback Weekend scheme
Busch doesn’t make many drastic changes in terms of sponsors considering that Mars Wrigley is his primary, but the JGR team regularly mixes up his designs throughout each season, incorporating Pedigree and Interstate Batteries. For example, he drove a red, white, and blue M&M’s Toyota Camry during 2020’s Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend.
Each time Busch heads to the track with a new look, the fans begin clamoring for a diecast version of his car. They proclaim on social media that they want to purchase miniature versions of each design, whether they feature fudge brownie M&M’s or standard Skittles.
Busch previously celebrated another iconic brand’s anniversary with a throwback scheme
When NASCAR headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube, the Nevada native in Busch used the opportunity to celebrate a classic brand. He competed in the Cup Series race in a special scheme dedicated to Ethel M Chocolates, the craft chocolate division of Mars Wrigley.
Take a look at a sweet new Ethel M Chocolates paint scheme for @KyleBusch at @LVMotorSpeedway this weekend!
The Nevada-based company celebrated its 40-year anniversary as Busch headed to his hometown track. Ethel M Chocolates also used the special anniversary as an opportunity to help out those negatively impacted by COVID-19. The company donated 40,000 meals to the Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas.
Busch will now honor another company’s history when he competes in the Goodyear 400 at The Lady in Black. This fan-favorite race will take place on Sunday, May 9, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Fox Sports 1 and MRN will provide coverage. Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, and Clint Bowyer will call the action from the Fox Sports booth while Jamie Little and Regan Smith serve as pit reporters. Larry McReynolds will round out the team while providing his unique style of analysis from the Fox Sports studio.
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Exclusive: Kyle Busch’s 80th Anniversary M&M’s Scheme for Throwback Weekend [LOOK]