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“I Got Catfished”—After Kyle Busch Debacle, Ex-Daytona 500 Winner Accuses Joe Gibbs in Fresh Sponsorship Conundrum

Published 06/01/2023, 7:49 AM EDT

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Ask an outsider about the most striking aspect of NASCAR drivers’ cars and outfits. Most will point toward the abundance of sponsor logos. Whether it’s FedEx, Monster Energy, or McDonald’s, racing enthusiasts see a plethora of brands as a part of the liveries. Some might consider it a simple marketing decision from the companies to expand their reach to millions of devoted viewers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

It is more than what meets the eye. The synergy between drivers and the sponsorship companies runs deeper than that. It not only acts as the lifeline for the drivers but also holds the key to securing full-time seats for the drivers. In a nutshell, it is a hassle-free gateway to race. 

However, in the absence of proper sponsorship deals, the dreams of a driver racer may be cast by uncertainty, leading to missed opportunities. And it seems one such driver from Joe Gibbs Racing is on the verge of facing that threat.  

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Joe Gibbs Racing is on the verge of repeating the Kyle Busch saga from last year

Having said that, one may surely raise the question as to why sponsorship holds a pivotal position for the teams and their drivers. The answer is quite simple: it helps in forging a connection between the budget gap and the team’s demand for the cars. Each team requires tens of millions of dollars to field and run their cars. The sponsors provide adequate funding to their respective teams in order to attract the fan base by advertising their commodities. 

Rewinding to last year, Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing parted ways after 15 years, despite winning more than 50 Cup races and two Cup championships with the #18 Toyota. The reason behind the much-talked-about separation was the failed sponsorship talks with M&Ms. Wrigley and Mars had been the primary sponsors for Rowdy but decided to withdraw at the end of the 2022 season, thus leaving Busch without a sponsor.

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JGR had to terminate its contract with Busch. However, with the announcement of the termination, fans had also speculated whether the team had put enough effort into finding another primary sponsor for the driver and retaining him on the team.

Nevertheless, it seems that history is repeating itself for another Joe Gibbs Racing driver and the 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne. The driver who had gone on hiatus from racing, had returned to Xfinity with JGR. But just as things started to look up for the driver and he was expecting a full-time seat with JGR, his sponsors backed out. He revealed in an interview,And then that didn’t happen; last minute, the sponsor backed out that they had.

Actually, I think might have got catfished, I’m not sure. But yeah, the sponsor just wasn’t legit that had called and inquired and so that was late in the offseason.”

Enraged fans lash out at Joe Gibbs Racing for failing Trevor Bayne

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The driver had hoped that he would be racing full-time, but things seem to have fallen apart. While Bayne still has hopes that he will find his way back into the racing world, the fans are enraged by the fact that the team failed to secure sponsors for a promising driver like Bayne. They even tried to connect the dots with the Kyle Busch-JGR saga.

Fans seemed enraged as they commented,JGR is sketchy with the way they treat their drivers.”

Sounds like typical JGR to me… Absolute clown show.”

That seems to the the Gibbs auto response when they don’t want a driver.”

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Maybe just maybe @Tbayne6 and @JRMotorsports can work something out for the 8!”

“I wonder who the Truck team was that he turned down. It’s a shame the JGR deal fell apart. I would’ve loved to see him full time this year for them.”

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Without the backing of sponsors, it will be tough for Trevor Bayne to find a full-time seat in Xfinity. While it must be overwhelming and distressing for the driver to deal with the blow, the fans can surely pray for the return of the driver so he can prove his mettle.

Watch This Story: Kyle Busch Joined Bubba Wallace in Expressing His Shock at Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell’s Michael Jordan Gaffe

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Written by:

Ayantika Maitra

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Ayantika Maitra is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. It was initially Formula 1 that made her fall in love with the world of motorsports. But quickly, the raw and unfiltered nature of NASCAR is what led her to build an affinity for the Stock Car Racing Series.
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Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal