Mars Inc. will depart NASCAR and its sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing after 2022, Sports Business Journal reports.
Mars has sponsored Kyle Busch‘s No. 18 entry in the NASCAR Cup Series and has been a partner of JGR since 2008.
In all, the company, which has largely utilized the sponsorship to promote its M&Ms brand, has been part of NASCAR since the 1990s.
“My appreciation for the entire Mars family is eternal,” Busch tweeted. “With 55 wins and two Cup titles together, we’ve built friendships that will last way past 2022. The Mars family has always accepted me for who I am and I’ll always be thankful for that. Here’s to many more trips to [victory lane] in ‘22!”
My appreciation for the entire Mars family is eternal. With 55 wins & 2 Cup titles together, we’ve built friendships that will last way past 2022. The Mars family has always accepted me for who I am and I’ll always be thankful for that. Here’s to many more trips to VL in ‘22! pic.twitter.com/GrWvU86E3V
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) December 20, 2021
According to SBJ, JGR President Dave Alpern says the team is currently looking for a replacement for Mars to support Busch’s car alongside Interstate Batteries. Mars informed JGR of the departure this summer.
In 2021, Busch won two races and earned 14 top fives and 22 top 10s in the Cup Series en route to a ninth-place finish in the standings. M&Ms sponsored both of Busch’s 2021 victories.
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.