Owner also discusses special sponsor, plans for Erik Jones
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CONCORD, N.C. -- Kyle Busch returns to competition Saturday night with the running of the 31st annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, and few could be happier about his return than team owner Joe Gibbs.
"He's a big part of our program and the fact that he's been missing in those Tuesday technical meetings where we sit there and talk about the race track with all of our drivers, it's a big deal," Gibbs said Saturday prior to the driver's meeting at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Busch, 30, has missed the first 11 Sprint Cup Series races after breaking his right leg and left foot in a crash during the season-opening NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway in February.
He climbed back into his familiar Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota for the first time since his accident Friday and posted the fastest speed in the day's only practice.
Having him back, Gibbs said, "helps you from the performance standpoint, but also I think having a member of the team missing and when you get somebody back like that I think it picks everybody up.
"I think it elevates all of us having Kyle back. … He never had a chance to work with Adam (Stevens), our crew chief, (this year). Things like that, it's a big deal for us."
Stevens, who teamed with Busch to win 19 times in the XFINITY Series, was named the team's crew chief prior to the start of the 2015 season.
• Busch's No. 18 entry is again carrying a special Red Nose Day paint scheme promoted by primary sponsor M&M's. The scheme was also featured in last week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, where Erik Jones filled in for Busch.
The Red Nose Day program is one of several featured by JGR sponsors, Gibbs said.
"They reach out in so many different ways," he said. "There have been a lot of those with FedEx -- we do inner city hunger (programs), we go where there have been tragedies with FedEx. This is a big promotion for Mars, one of a number they have. M&M's has always been about kids and trying to help them.
"All of our sponsors are very community-related and trying to help underprivileged people, period."
Red Nose Day (May 21) is a charitable campaign that seeks to raise money to help young people living in poverty. M&M's is an inaugural sponsor of the program.
"If you want to get to our heart, talk about our kids," Gibbs said. "I know from the time mine came on the scene, now I've got grandkids, it's the way to our heart. Because we see those little guys and we know how much they depend on us. So any way we can help … we want to do it."
• In addition to Jones, Matt Crafton, twice a champion in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and David Ragan filled in for Busch during his absence. Jones was running near the top five in his Sprint Cup debut at Kansas before hitting the wall.
He lost Friday night's Truck Series race to Kasey Kahne in a wild, side-by-side finish at Charlotte.
"I think everybody's impressed with Erik," Gibbs said. "He's had great performances; last night was awesome. He continues, every time he gets in the car, to really make a great statement about his ability and what kind of person he is. We're thrilled to have him on board."
With Busch back on track, Jones' return to Sprint Cup remains undetermined.
"We've kind of got a game plan," said Gibbs. "We've talked over different things. We just know that at some point he's going to be in a Cup car."