Ty Gibbs drives JGR’s M&M’s tribute car for Kyle Busch at Bristol
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 18, 2026
Busch tribute car
Joe Gibbs Racing put Kyle Busch back on the Bristol Motor Speedway stage in paint only, unveiling a throwback M&M’s scheme on Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota to honor the driver who made Bristol one of his best tracks. The tribute came from a shared idea inside the sport, with Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch’s family and Mars all wanting to recognize what Busch built at the half-mile oval. The car carries a clear memory book on its bodywork. It includes photos of Busch’s first Joe Gibbs Racing contract, his first win with the team, his wedding and Brexton Busch celebrating his victories. That design turns the car into more than a nod to a former champion. It links Busch’s time with Joe Gibbs Racing to the family moments that came with it and to the success that made Bristol a natural place for the salute. Busch won nine Cup Series races at Bristol, nine O’Reilly/Xfinity Series races there and five Truck Series races there. Those numbers explain why the tribute centers on that track and why the familiar M&M’s colors carry so much weight in the garage this weekend.
Busch family reaction
Samantha Busch said the gesture means a great deal to the family, and the tribute carries that feeling in every detail. The car does more than recall race results. It ties Busch’s career to the people closest to him and to the memories that followed those wins. Samantha Busch also said Ty Gibbs has spent time with Brexton Busch, taken him to lunch and breakfast and talked with him about their fathers after both families experienced loss. That connection gives the Bristol tribute a personal edge. It is not a simple throwback scheme built for show. It reflects respect between families that have both felt what the sport can take and what it can leave behind. The photos on the car underline that point. Busch’s first contract with Joe Gibbs Racing marks the start of his run with the team. His first win with the organization shows how quickly that partnership turned into a force. His wedding and the images of Brexton celebrating victories bring the family side into the same frame as the racing side. The result is a tribute that reaches past the track and into the parts of Busch’s career that mattered away from it.
Gibbs Bristol outlook
Ty Gibbs also brings a racing story into the weekend, and he said the choice to drive the tribute car comes with some pressure. He expects to have a strong shot at the win, and that confidence fits his position in the standings. Gibbs enters the weekend sixth, 51 points behind Denny Hamlin. The Bristol weekend gives him a high-profile car and a clear chance to add his own mark to a No. 54 Toyota carrying Busch’s history. It also comes with the weight of the name on the hood and the attention that follows a tribute to a driver who won so much at the track. Heather Gibbs added another layer to the story when she said the No. 18 would only return to the Cup Series if a Busch is driving it. She called the car “sacred” and said it could stay reserved for someone with the Busch surname, possibly Brexton Busch or another family member in the future. That view keeps the No. 18 tied to the family that made it matter in the first place. It also shows how this tribute reaches beyond one race weekend. Joe Gibbs Racing used Bristol to celebrate Kyle Busch, but the comments around the No. 18 suggest the legacy could stay in the family for years to come.
