Bristol will witness an emotional Kyle Busch tribute on Sunday, September 19, as the iconic canary-yellow M&M’s livery returns for one night only. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs will get behind the wheel, giving fans another chance to see one of Busch’s most recognizable paint schemes back on track and pay tribute to the NASCAR legend. But while the livery is making a comeback, JGR has decided that one thing synonymous with Busch will not be passed down to Gibbs.
Team co-owner Heather Gibbs revealed to journalist Claire B. Lang that there was no way they would let Ty drive with the No. 18 painted on his doors and roof. It’s something they want to keep reserved for someone with the Busch surname.
“To me, it’s a sacred number, and it will never be run without Busch being the last name,” Heather said in the interview, posted by Lang on X.
Heather revealed that the No. 18 could eventually be used by Brexton, or someone else in the family, for whatever they choose to pursue, much like Richard Childress retired the No. 8 that Kyle drove in the Cup Series between 2023 and 2026.
The sight of the M&M’s-painted car and the No. 18 together struck fear into the hearts of other drivers for over a decade, when Kyle was at the peak of his powers with Joe Gibbs Racing. He developed a reputation as one of the fiercest racers in the garage, won two Cup Series championships (2015 and 2019), and visited Victory Lane 56 times with that number.
JGR knew they wanted to honor Kyle Busch after he passed away from pneumonia on May 21st this year, and Heather revealed that someone in the organization put forward the idea of running the No. 18 in Charlotte. She immediately said no to the idea.
“That number is going to stay. If Kyle Busch was the last one to run it, that number is either going to stay, you know, parked inside our organization…” Heather added in the same interview.
For Heather, the No. 18 car and the yellow M&M’s livery also carry a unique connection to the Phoenix finale, one of the most difficult race weekends in Joe Gibbs Racing’s history. It marked the end of Kyle Busch’s JGR era and M&M’s final race in NASCAR. But the weekend took an even more devastating turn when, just hours before the green flag, team COO Coy Gibbs, son of owner Joe Gibbs, passed away in his sleep. His death came only hours after his son, Ty Gibbs, had won the O’Reilly Series championship.
Now, Ty will bring the same yellow scheme to Bristol, a track Kyle absolutely loved, making the team’s decision to honor him here even more fitting. Ty will run his familiar No. 54 and hope to take the car to Victory Lane, just as Kyle did nine times in the Cup Series at Bristol.
Samantha Busch revealed this news in August earlier this year with a message on Instagram, where she choked up while describing Kyle’s connection to the track. She said,
“It’s a chance to honor him at a place he loved so much, surrounded by our NASCAR family and the fans who loved him too. I know Kyle would want us to be there, to keep showing up, keep racing, and keep carrying his legacy forward.”
Bristol was truly a track that brought out the best in the late-great driver. In 2010 and 2017, he swept all three races — Cup, O’Reilly, and Truck — at this track, making him the first in NASCAR history to do so.
With so much of Kyle’s history tied to Bristol, Sunday’s tribute gives fans a chance to celebrate his legacy once again, even without the No. 18 on the car. For now, that number stays where Heather wants it. Ty may carry Kyle’s familiar colors at Bristol, but the No. 18 will wait for the next Busch to bring it back to the track.