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Brad Keselowski Takes a Veiled Dig at Kyle Busch Breaking Up 15-Year Ties With $117 Billion Partner

Published 05/06/2024, 9:12 PM EDT

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When Kyle Busch shifted to Richard Childress Racing in 2023, he left a lasting legacy at Joe Gibbs Racing. The winningest active driver brought most of his victories at JGR. The 63-time Cup winner could do it under the guidance of a sweet sponsor. Mars and Murrie, the world-renowned chocolate brand, was Kyle Busch’s long-time sponsor at JGR.

At RCR, Kyle Busch moved into more adult quarters. Zone Premium Nicotine Pouches and Rebel Bourbon are currently among Busch’s primary sponsors. However, their stint is not going so well, as Rowdy is yet to fetch a race trophy in 2024. Taking a sly dig at Busch’s estranged chocolate habits, Brad Keselowski tickled fans recently.

NASCAR fans react to Kyle Busch’s mockery

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When the 2022 NASCAR Cup season was over, Kyle Busch was left with a hole in his heart. His sadness crept in first in 2019 when his former crew chief Adam Stevens left. However, the last straw was when Busch had to say goodbye to the M&M-adorned yellow livery of the JGR No. 18 car. The $117 Billion chocolate company dissolved a 15-year-old bond with Busch.

Taking a jibe at this untimely break-up, RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski posted a video on X. He could be seen cracking open a pack of M&Ms, and saying, “I just don’t understand why guys eat this now, since they stopped sponsoring Kyle Busch.”

 

Some fans rolled over with laughter, agreeing with Brad Keselowski’s humor. “🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 dang”. Another fan also found a one-word comment to suffice. “LOL”.

 

One fan added a curated poster featuring Brad Keselowski sporting the word: “Thunder”. Another fan played along with Keselowski’s joke about Busch, narrating a personal story. “I bought some at the movies for the first time in a loooooong time a couple weeks ago finally! 😂😂😂”

 

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But some others were Kyle Busch fanatics, and they did not take the joke well. One fan mocked Keselowski’s dearth of race trophies, as his last win came way back in 2021. “Have ya won a race at RFK yet Brad? Love me some @KyleBusch”. Another fan quipped about their falling respect: “Well, hell, I was just starting to like you a little bit better now, but I have just changed my mind again. Sorry, Brad.” Despite Busch’s long legacy with M&M, the chocolate brand had threatened to withdraw from him before 2022.

Rowdy actions invited a harsh M&M call

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Back in 2011, Kyle Busch irked several people in the NASCAR community, including some in his own team. He deliberately crashed into Ron Hornaday under caution in a Truck Series race. This prompted his primary sponsor, M&M, to suspend their backing of Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota for the final two races of the year. 

Team boss Joe Gibbs sanctioned the decision, given Kyle Busch’s aggressive tactics. “We strongly support Mars’s decision. This gives us all time to work together to foster a positive change where Kyle can continue racing in a way we can all be proud of.” Even though Kyle Busch has toned down his rowdy behavior, his winning fortunes are yet to break out of a deep slumber.

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Written by:

Sumedha Mukherjee

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Sumedha Mukherjee is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports who is known for her in-depth track analysis as well as her lifestyle coverage of Cup drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. Inspired by the Kiwi's journey so far, Sumedha has also written extensively on Shane Van Gisbergen, predicting how the Supercars Champion would do in the new and unfamiliar American setting. Pairing her research skills with her vast experience as a writer, Sumedha creates stories her readers can easily get lost in.
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Edited by:

Mallika Singh