15 years – that’s a fifth of all NASCAR history. And that’s also how long Kyle Busch served the team at Joe Gibbs Racing. He is and shall remain, a genuine legend in the team’s history.

It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume that Kyle Busch would have wanted those 15 years to become 20, or maybe even 25 years. But things could not go as per his plans, unfortunately.

The setback first came through Mars & Wrigley, cutting off his sponsorship. The Candyman, as he was called, had been with the company for the same period of 15 years as well. A protracted but unyielding contract renewal conversation then followed it. The atmosphere became so toxic that there was some of it that also came outside the private sphere of the meeting room.

In the end, the team showed the exit door to the 2-time Cup Series winner. He found another taker for his driving abilities in Richard Childress Racing. Taking up the #8 car at RCR, he will race for the team from 2023 onwards.

Busch posted a video recently showing his enthusiasm to get back on the steering wheel.

He said “Yeah, what’s up Rowdy Nation! Here we are getting to work. All ready! Not missing a beat. Getting it going, doing a little endurance racing this weekend down in Dakota. So… no time to waste. Gotta get rolling, gotta get started, gotta get winning. Let’s go!”

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The Las Vegas man still has a lot of fuel in his tank. He will be hoping to make a grand start to his career in the #8.

Who replaced Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing?

For a long time, JGR had confirmed Busch’s departure. The question on everyone’s mind was who would replace the veteran? While there was a long list of possibilities, there was only one genuine contender.

Ty Gibbs has made an amazingly fast rise in NASCAR. The 20-year-old made his Xfinity Series debut in 2021 at Daytona. But it wasn’t just a debut; he converted his first start in the competition to a first win as well.

He finished the 2021 season in the Series as Rookie of the Year despite only racing part-time. Ty then went on to better his record with an even more solid outing in the 2022 season.

Ty won the Xfinity Series in 2022 after conjuring 7 wins, 16 top-5 finishes, and 23 top-5 finishes. He also ran 15 races in the Cup Series in place of the injured Kurt Busch for 23XI Racing.

JGR finally rewarded his performances as they announced him as Busch’s replacement for the 2023 season. Gibbs will be taking up the #54 car, however, and not the #18 car that Kyle drove.

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The 20-year-old has been a phenom. His rise has been remarkable to witness. Hopefully, he continues improving and JGR’s reliance on him pays off.