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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – APRIL 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Mars Crunchy Cookie Toyota, walks the gridduring practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 02, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – APRIL 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Mars Crunchy Cookie Toyota, walks the gridduring practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 02, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
A few weeks ago, Kyle Busch infused a sense of panic into the entire NASCAR community, and particularly into his own team, when he replied to a question about his future with Joe Gibbs Racing now that his primary sponsor M&M’s are packing their bags.
“Ask Joe Gibbs,” he had said.
So that’s what Joe Gibbs did. The team owner recently not only cleared the air (somewhat) about his driver’s future, but he also injected some calm into it.
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“We’re really confident that we’re going to have that (No. 18) car squared away, sponsorship-wise, and we’re trying to work on our deal right now with Kyle,” Gibbs said. “So I think we feel good about it.”
Gibbs added that they now have three veteran drivers who are capable of winning a race week in and week out, so taking care of them from every corner is a priority for his team.
“You’re always constantly trying to search for sponsorships, extend their contracts, and so that’s part of what we do. We’re going as hard as we can,” he said.
Toyota can’t imagine a scenario in which Kyle Busch isn’t a part of their team
There’s no denying that if Joe Gibbs Racing lost Kyle Busch, it’d be a big disaster not only for the team but also for the Toyota family. It is something that Toyota Racing Development President, David Wilson recently emphasized on.
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“If nothing else, I can’t envision any other scenario. Any other scenario is just unacceptable,” he said.
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DAYTONA, FL – AUGUST 28: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 28, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fl.(Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Having said that, Wilson added that the situation isn’t entirely in their hands. That it will take Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Kyle Busch to reach a common ground.
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“We can’t control everything, and I’ll leave it at that.”
WATCH STORY: Team Owner Joe Gibbs Vows to Confront NASCAR Over Kyle Busch Sanctions in Richmond
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