HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Just two days after Joe Gibbs Racing filled its candy dish with M&Ms for the foreseeable future, the Coach and owner of the four-car organization announced that Kyle Busch has signed a multiyear contract extension as the driver of one of the sport’s most colorful and successful cars.
Coach Gibbs and Busch himself confirmed the agreement for the future of the No. 18 Toyota during Thursday’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship 4 Media Day, just three days before the 30-year-old driver competes for his first premier-series title. Gibbs first mentioned the news during a NASCAR.com live chat with Miss Sprint Cup Madison Martin.
“Well, we got an extension from M&Ms, which is awesome and great. Then we did an extension with Kyle,” Gibbs said. “It’s great going forward in the future to have a great company behind Kyle and behind us.”
Busch confirmed that the deal was a multiyear agreement, extending one of the longest-running driver/team/sponsor combinations in the sport. Busch, who has driven the No. 18 for JGR full time since 2008, left open the possibility that he could finish out his career with the Gibbs-owned organization.
“You know, I definitely feel like that. But a lot of things have happened in this sport where you never really know,” Busch said. “But I’m pleased with where I’m at. I feel like Joe Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing has really been a true home for me, and being with Toyota and them and having the respect and rapport that I do with them has been really awesome, as well, too.
“You know, it’s so exciting to have the opportunity to continue on down the road for multiple years with M&M’s and to continue on in the relationship with them, for as much fun as we’ve had over the years, it’s certainly cool that we can continue to have that, and to keep that colorful brand out there on the racetrack as hopefully with much more success following.”
Busch has scored 29 of his 33 wins in NASCAR’s top division driving for Gibbs. The driver also known as “Rowdy” missed the first 11 races this after suffering severe leg injuries in the XFINITY Series opener, but recovered to punch his ticket to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship (Sunday, 3 p.m., NBC, MRN, Sirius XM) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The timing of the ink drying on the contracts in the week leading up to Busch’s possible coronation wasn’t lost on Gibbs, who has thrice tasted championships in NASCAR’s top series — in 2000 with Bobby Labonte and in 2002 and ’05 with Tony Stewart .
“For us to get an extension on our contract with them, and then to get Kyle wrapped up in that, I mean, it’s a huge deal for us,” Gibbs said. “It made me reflect on really what this weekend means for us. You’ve got Toyota’s chance for the first time ever. You’ve got M&M’s, first time ever. You’ve got Norm Miller at Interstate Batteries. This would be his second if we could do that, and that means a lot. And then you’ve got Kyle.
“So our deal, I think everybody is nervous. Everybody has realized what’s at stake.”