Kyle Busch is still the highest-paid driver in NASCAR. After a dismal season that saw him go winless for the first time in almost two decades, there’s no question 2025 has to spur better performances from the entire #8 crew at Richard Childress Racing. Even then, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer like Rowdy remains what many in the sport would call a “sponsor sweetheart.”.

It’s true. M&M’s splitting from NASCAR’s sponsorship portfolio significantly impacted Kyle Busch’s career trajectory. But those new-look backers at RCR these past two years have only added to all the appeal. From Rebel Bourbon Whiskey to Zone nicotine pouches all the way to hemp-based consumables and cannabinoids brand 3CHI, many sponsors have attached themselves to the Kyle Busch brigade. However, there are growing doubts about 3CHI continuing its partnership with the 2-time Cup champ in 2025. Regardless, their creative genius has stirred up some unforeseen sentiments across NASCAR socials in the off-season.

The Kyle Busch paint scheme that almost went viral this year

When 3CHI renewed their deal with RCR and the #8 team earlier this year, an official staff report from the race team stated that “In addition to primary sponsorship on the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series, 3CHI’s multi-faceted partnership with RCR will include a robust marketing activation, strategic content and communication plan, building on a successful partnership that first began three years ago.”

However, the nature of 3CHI’s hemp-based products has been a topic of mass contention in NASCAR over the recent years. After all, as of 2024, the green flag has dropped on recreational marijuana usage in just 24 states and Washington, D.C., while the US government sanctions medical marijuana sales in nearly 40 states across the nation. 3CHI were victims of the taboo themselves earlier this year when the company announced that they had to take “a reduced sponsorship position (with RCR) due to the political environment surrounding hemp-derived cannabinoids… Because of this, 3CHI is only sponsoring one race in 2024 and that’s the championship race in Phoenix.”

And they did. At the championship race in Phoenix, the #8 car got wrapped in the signature black and gold 3CHI colors. It finished 21st in the field. But according to a recent reveal on Twitter, the brand had a completely different paint scheme planned for Kyle Busch’s Chevy Camaro ZL1 at Phoenix, one that fans never got to see.

And, this forbidden paint scheme didn’t receive final approval from NASCAR, and it’s not hard to fathom why. The new colors swapped out the classic black base for a sleek white finish, trading the traditional gold decals for a bold design featuring marijuana leaf patterns splashed across the car. Kyle Busch would’ve even received a matching firesuit to complement the bold Rowdy design. It would’ve been a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the idea never came to fruition, and 3CHI had to revert to their default Black and Gold colors for Phoenix.

Now, the fans aren’t too pleased about NASCAR’s rejection. And the loudest stakeholders of the sport made their feelings loud and clear across social media.

Would you buy the diecast? Fans say yes!

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One fan called out the wider hypocrisy with a scathing comment that went something like, “They’ll advertise big pharma, alcohol, and straight up scam businesses but not cannabis! That would be stepping over the line!” It’s anyone’s guess which brands this diehard of the NASCAR community was referring to.

NASCAR has always promoted pharmaceutical brands while raising health awareness. Lilly Diabetes’ sponsorship of Ryan Reed in the Xfinity Series was more than branding—it leveraged his story as a driver managing type 1 diabetes. Also, Reed became an ambassador through the Drive to Stop Diabetes campaign, connecting with fans via personal stories and outreach events; maybe the fan directed at this.

Similarly, AstraZeneca’s partnership with Austin Dillon in 2021 featured its COPD medication, BREZTRI AEROSPHERE, on the No. 3 Chevrolet. The campaign extended to race broadcasts, delivering targeted health awareness to NASCAR’s vast audience. But cannabis, again, is a different arena.

“But we can have shitty beer brands on the car 🙄,” wrote another member of the NASCAR community. And it’s not new knowledge that Anheuser-Busch’s strong NASCAR presence continues with drivers like Ross Chastain and major events such as the Busch Light Clash. Budweiser, which supported Dale Earnhardt Jr. in his early career, also cemented its place in NASCAR’s history. Other than these two, Molson Coors, with Miller Lite backing Brad Keselowski and Coors Light sponsoring the Pole Award, also holds a long-standing role in the sport.

One fan even added a Rowdy GIF and went on to write, “You’re telling me I could have seen this lit scheme at my home track and didn’t?! What the fu-k NASCAR?!“ And truth be told, that’s a question plaguing the minds of most fans. Someone even called it out best from their own perspective: “NASCAR is no fun.” Maybe so. But the sport surely is; it’s just that sometimes the governing sanctions get a little too stringent in the grander background of things.

“I can’t believe it wasn’t allowed. America has gotten soft,” a fan wrote, pointing out the sensitivity of the topic. For those who are unaware, cannabis advertising is tightly regulated, with each U.S. state implementing its own rules. Many countries have outright bans. A 2010 proposal by the Beckley Foundation suggested a global ban on cannabis ads. In California, for example, even today, false health claims in cannabis advertising are prohibited to ensure consumer safety and therefore still considered controversial in major sponsorships, and NASCAR’s policies reflect the broader regulatory environment.

Regardless, one of those abundant comments took the argument home with a hilarious observation. “If somebody makes a diecast the ston-rs will buy it,” it read. And it would be hard to argue with that notion. But Rowdy’s race car design is here, and it’s as gorgeous as his last one.