Kyle Busch’s time working with M&M’s comes to a close with the Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway. He and the company will cap off the partnership with a special, fan-focused scheme.
M&M’s released the first looks at the new scheme on October 25. The No. 18 Toyota Camry TRD will have the same colors with a yellow base and red, green, orange, and blue Lentils. However, closer inspection reveals that the entire car is covered in a mosaic of fan photos. There is also a special message reading, “thank you fans!”
These images were submitted by fans throughout the 2022 Cup Series season as Mars prepared for the final race in the NASCAR Cup Series and with Busch. Now, these photos will take over the stock car as Busch closes out a tenure with both JGR and Mars that featured two Cup Series championships and dozens of wins.
This Campaign Began Months Prior to the Finale
When Mars announced that the 2022 season would be its last in NASCAR, the company made one thing clear. The goal was to celebrate the fans at every possible opportunity before walking away.
One of the first steps was asking fans to submit their photos for a special scheme on the No. 18 Toyota Camry. Each month during the regular season, M&M’s selected some of the fans that shared their photos on social media and sent them diecast cars and mini helmets signed by Busch.
Along with selecting the fan photos for the special scheme, M&M’s also took over an important race. The Cup Series trip to Pocono Raceway officially became the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400, which featured a weekend of special events featuring drivers that have represented the brand over the years.
Busch Will Pursue Another Win With M&M’s
When Busch climbs into the fan-focused No. 18, it will mark the final time. He will make his last start for Joe Gibbs Racing after originally making his debut in 2008, and he will do so at a track where he has previous success.
Busch could potentially close out his tenure with both JGR and M&M’s with another win. He has been strong at Phoenix Raceway throughout his career while posting top-10 finishes in 70.6% of his 34 career Cup Series starts. This run has only featured one DNF due to an engine issue.
Three of Busch’s previous trips to Phoenix Raceway have ended with him celebrating in Victory Lane. He won during the 2005 season — his first full-time year — while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. He then took M&M’s to Victory Lane twice during his time with Joe Gibbs Racing.
The first with JGR was during the 2018 playoffs, and it put him in the championship four. Busch’s third win at Phoenix Raceway — his second with M&M’s — took place early in the 2019 season. He kicked off the year with three top-10s and two top-fives before winning the fourth race of the year. Busch then went on to capture five races, as well as the championship.
Comments