Interstate Batteries [6 races] is scheduled to be the primary sponsor at the following 2013 races:
Auto Club - 3/24
Texas - 4/13
Daytona - 7/6
New Hampshire - 7/14
Michigan - 8/18
Dover - 9/29

There are six current race tracks the Sprint Cup Series runs on that Kyle Busch has not won at a Sprint Cup race:
Martinsville, Charlotte, Kansas, Pocono, Indianapolis and Homestead.(4-13-2013)

Contract Status: Driver: 2017; Primary Sponsors: M&M Mars 2017?; Interstate 2013+; Manufacturer: 2014+

Kyle Busch, & team helping build Habitat for Humanity Homes; scheme: Almost daily, Kyle Busch and members of his #18 M&M'S Toyota team practice to improve their efficiency changing tires and pouring gas, to ensure they can save precious seconds necessary to maintain track position. Today, the team banded together with colleagues from Joe Gibbs Racing, NASCAR and M&M'S to make improvements of a different kind.
This unique team, comprised of more than 50 volunteers, is helping build two Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte homes in the Charlotte area, which includes the future homes of Yasin Mohamed and Egland Isak and their three children, as well as Kung Mang and Sung Thluai and their two children. The effort is part of M&M'S M'Prove America campaign, a year-long partnership with Habitat designed to fund construction of new Habitat homes across the United States.
Fans can join Busch and M&M'S by pledging to volunteer their time and talents at Habitat for Humanity build sites across the country at www.mproveamerica.com. This year, M&M'S is encouraging its associates and fans to log an ambitious 1.5 million minutes -- or 25,000 hours -- of volunteer time with Habitat. In addition to encouraging fans to volunteer time, M&M'S is also making a donation of $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity to fund the construction of Habitat homes in 2013. Later this month, M&M'S will also introduce specially marked M'Prove America packages of red, white and blue M&M'S Brand Candies in stores nationwide.
The M&M'S M'Prove America campaign will also be on display during the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway when Busch gets behind the wheel of a special #18 M&M'S M'Prove America Toyota.(Wall Street Journal), see an image of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(5-20-2013)

Kahne says he and Kyle Busch are good: Despite three on-track incidents between them in just 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races this season, #5-Kasey Kahne told SPEED.com that he doesn't have a problem with #18-Kyle Busch. Prior to Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kahne told SPEED.com that he and Busch talked things out and are OK going forward. "Yes, it's over. I thought it was over before Darlington," said Kahne. Kahne said Busch called him earlier in the week. "We talked about & it was just hard racing. We were both going for the lead."(SPEED)(5-19-2013)

Kyle Busch discusses Kasey Kahne: from a Toyota Racing press conference transcript:
Q) How will you race Kasey Kahne?
Busch "You race him (Kasey Kahne) just has hard as you race him any other week. The first two instances were a mistake, just misjudgment. Kasey admitted it, he had to get on the brakes in Daytona and checked up a little bit and I ran over him. You couldn't really see through the cars in front of you to see what was happening. Daytona I just misjudged, I wanted to pull out and thought last second that I was going to stay in line and push Kasey. I turned him sideways when I was coming back in line. Last week was just hard racing. You're in the last three laps and you're past the last pit stop and it's all about track position. For us, we were racing as hard as we could. He pulled a huge slide job on me in turn three and I got back to his inside and I had been running down there on the flat all night and had been passing lapped cars down there and some of my restarts were even that low on the race track. I didn't think there was going to be a problem and when I got down there I just got tight and pushed up a little bit. Whether or not we touched, I think that's insignificant because I'm not racing to wreck Kasey Kahne, but Kasey Kahne did crash because of me so it's a part of hard racing at the end of the race and I hate that it keeps being the same guy, but if it were a Matt Kenseth on a Tony Stewart we probably wouldn't see a story."
Q) Have the incidents occurred with Kasey Kahne due to both of you racing up front?
Busch "It's got some merit to it sure. Being up front racing with a guy, Kasey (Kahne), he won Bristol and I think we finished second to him there and then obviously he ran well at Vegas and he ran well at Kansas. We were up front at Vegas with him and running well there, but you run up front and you try for wins in the last 30 laps and you have to give it everything you've got. You're not there to rollover and let a guy go. Even the Darlington piece, if I would have let him go, I don't know that I could have got back by him. It was a little difficult to pass and he did seem to have a good car on the long runs so I knew that protecting my spot was what I needed to do at that particular point. Racing up front, racing hard I'm sure there would be a moment where it could come back on me and I expect it, it's fine. I just told Kasey, I said, 'Just don't make it hurt too bad."
Q) Are you expecting retaliation from Kasey Kahne?
Busch "I don't think Kasey (Kahne) is that kind of guy, but if it happens I'll understand."
Q) Have you communicated with Kasey Kahne?
Busch "We have communicated."(Toyota Racing)(5-18-2013)

New look for the #18 in All-Star race: #18-Kyle Busch will debut a new scheme he hopes to find in victory lane on Saturday night with SNICKERS Bites. The brand new hunger-satisfying innovation that offers the trademark SNICKERS combination of chocolate, peanuts, caramel and nougat shrunk down into small, no fuss, "pop 'em in your mouth" milk chocolate cubes. The unwrapped treats are ideal for sharing, whether while watching a movie, attending a gathering, or for fans cheering Busch to victory lane.(JGR), see an image of the car on the #18 Team Schemes page.(5-16-2013)

Kahne expects another apology from Busch: #5-Kasey Kahne anticipates another phone call and apology from #18-Kyle Busch after an incident between them cost Kahne a chance to win Saturday night's Bojangles' Southern 500. It's the third time this season - and second race in a row - that Busch has caused Kahne to wreck. "I don't know what his deal is with me,'' Kahne said after finishing 17th. Kahne and Busch dueled for the lead 34 laps from the finish Saturday. Kahne edged by Busch in Turn 3, Busch moved ahead off Turn 4. They headed to turn 1 side by side. "He blew that entry into (Turn) 1,'' Kahne said. Busch went low into turn 1 but slid up the track. "I was like, "Oh shoot, oh shoot,' '' Kahne said. "The car moved and then just spun out. I don't know if he actually touched me or not. If he would have just entered normal like he entered the whole race there would have been no issues and I would have been leading off 2. He just didn't want that to happen, so he blew turn 1. Whether he hit me or not, he still caused that whole deal with screwing up and just mind fade. He's had a few of them this year when I've been around him."(Motor Racing Network)(5-12-2013)

Doublemint on the #18 at Darlington: Kyle Busch has proven he knows a thing or two about doubling up on a race weekend. So it might be appropriate that the driver of the #18 Doublemint Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing will have the iconic Doublemint gum brand adorn his racecar as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to historic Darlington Raceway for Saturday night's Bojangles Southern 500. Busch has already recorded two Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series "doubles" thus far in 2013. Those Sprint Cup and Nationwide wins on the same weekends at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., in March, and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in April upped his total to eight career Sprint Cup-Nationwide doubles. This weekend's event will mark the first of four races in 2012 that Doublemint will serve as primary sponsor for Busch, as the iconic chewing gum brand's mint paint scheme will also adorn Busch's #18 Toyota at Kentucky, Atlanta, and the first race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Chicagoland.(TrueSpeed Communications/JGR), see an image of the car on the #18 team paint schemes page.(5-8-2013)

Kyle Busch wins Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown: Kyle Busch has won Denny Hamlin's Short Track Showdown for the third time in six years. Busch, a teammate of Hamlin's with Joe Gibbs Racing, grabbed the lead before the 5-minute pit stops that came after 46 laps, then pulled away when the race went back to green, easily holding off David Ragan on Thursday night. With Hamlin sidelined by a compression fracture of a vertebra in his lower back and forced to watch the event at his home track, Busch once again made the 75-lap race his to lose in a car that was built by his team, Kyle Busch Motorsports. Ragan was second, and Ben Rhodes finished third. The race benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which is committed to helping children with cystic fibrosis.(Associated Press), other notable finishes: Kyle Larson 10th, Max Papis 21st, Matt Kenseth 22nd, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr, 25th, Trevor Bayne 26th, Tony Stewart 28th, Michael Waltrip 33rd.(4-25-2013)

Kyle Busch wins at Texas: #18-Kyle Busch won the NRA 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway for his 2nd win of 2013, 1st win at Texas and 26th career win. He took the lead on the final pitstop and pulled away over the final 16 laps to take the win by .508 seconds. #56-Truex, Jr. finished 2nd followed by #99-Edwards, #16-Biffle, #22-Logano, #48-Johnson, #43-Almirola, #11-Vickers, #2-Keselowski, and #39-Newman.
There were 18 lead changes among 7 drivers and 7 cautions for 36 yellow flag laps. The average speed was 144.751mph.
Starting this season, NASCAR doesn't release the track attendance.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Texas Race Results page (pdf) and check out the Texas Penalty Report (pdf)
And see the Official Race and Points on the NRA 500 Official Race and Points Report page (pdf)

300 Cup starts for Kyle Busch: At just 27 years of age, it's difficult to believe Kyle Busch is considered by many to be a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran. But as the Sprint Cup competitors head to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth this Saturday night for the NRA 500, the driver of the # 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing is showing veteran-like numbers to prove it, especially since the Texas start will be his 300th in NASCAR's top series. Along with his number of starts, the number in the career wins column also serves to belie Busch's age. His 25th Sprint Cup win three weekends ago at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.  ties him with JGR teammate Matt Kenseth, along with Jim Paschal and Joe Weatherly, for 24th in all-time Sprint Cup victories. Also with the Fontana win, Busch became just the third driver to score 25 victories in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series (25 Sprint Cup, 54 Nationwide). Mark Martin (40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide) and Kenseth (25 Sprint Cup, 26 Nationwide) are the only other drivers to do so. In Busch's 299 previous starts, he's also has notched an impressive 97 top-five finishes and 144 top-10s. Not too shabby for just 300 career starts.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(4-11-2013)

Kyle Busch to appear on 'Anger Management': #18-Kyle Busch apparently will make fun of, of all people, Kyle Busch when he appears on upcoming episode of the FX comedy "Anger Management." According to TMZ, Busch will play himself and seek counseling from the character portrayed by Charlie Sheen, who of course isn't exactly known as the most stable person in the world. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is one of the most polarizing personalities in the Sprint Cup Series thanks to his incredible talent, aggressive moves and an, at times, off-track surliness. Kyle Busch's wife, Samantha, posted a couple of photos of her and Kyle with Sheen on the set of the show Monday.(Sporting News)(3-29-2013)

Kyle Busch wins at Auto Club: #18-Kyle Busch won the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway for his 1st win of 2013, 2nd win at ACS and 25th career win. It is the first Sprint Cup Series win for Joe Gibbs Racing at ACS. Busch had a streak of 31 races since his last win. In a wild finish, #22-Logano was leading at the white flag and #11-Hamlin was next to hm a few feet behind the #22. The two drivers raced hard and got into each other on the backstretch, sending Logano into the outside wall and #11-Hamlin hard into the inside wall, which has no SAFER (for some reason). After climbing from the car under his own power, Hamlin laid down and was put on a stretcher and then an ambulance and taken to the infield care center. Hamlin was them taken by helicopter to a local hospital. #18 crew chew chief Dave Rogers was interviewed by SPEED's Kenny Wallace and said that he talked to team owner J.D. Gibbs and supposedly Hamlin has some back pain and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
#88-Earnhardt Jr finished 2nd followed by #22-Logano, #99-Edwards, #78-Busch, #16-Biffle, #20-Kenseth, #27-Menard, #5-Kahne and #39-Newman.
#11-Hamlin, the pole sitter and involved in the last lap wreck, finished 25th.
There were 17 lead changes among 8 drivers and 9 cautions for 35 yellow flag laps. The average speed was 135.351mph.
Starting this season, NASCAR doesn't release the track attendance.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Auto Club Race Results page (pdf) and check out the Auto Club Penalty Resport (pdf)
And see the Official Race and Points on the Auto Club 400 Official Race and Points Report page (pdf)

Hendrick Motorsports still most valuable team according to Forbes: Hendrick Motorsports is NASCAR's most valuable team with a value of $357 million, up 2%. Hendrick is worth twice as much as second-ranked Joe Gibbs Racing. Hendrick is the only four car Sprint Cup team left and brings in $125 million in sponsor revenue a year. Lowe's extended its deal last month through 2015 as the primary sponsor of Jimmie Johnson's #48 car. Earnhardt Ganassi (ranked #8 with a value of $72 million) announced it would switch engine suppliers from Earnhardt Childress Racing to Hendrick starting in 2013. This will add to Hendrick's coffers, which are already full as NASCAR's most profitable team with an estimated operating income of $16.6 million in 2012.
Gibbs, worth $168 million, leapfrogs Roush Fenway Racing. Gibbs got a huge boost in 2013 with the addition of 2003 Sprint Cup champ Matt Kenseth, who replaced Joey Logano in the #20 car. Gibbs has been one of the most consistent teams when it comes to selling sponsorships with all paint schemes sold ahead of the season start in 2012 and 2013. JGR signed a 30-race renewal with FedEx last year on the #11 car.
The value of Roush is down 10% to $166 million. The team has struggled to sell sponsorships in recent years and lost Kenseth to Gibbs. Richard Childress Racing ranks No. 4 with a value of $139 million, down 6%. Childress is at a crossroad as it prepares to lose its top driver, Kevin Harvick, who signed a deal to race for Stewart-Haas Racing starting in 2014. Still to be determined is if long-time sponsor, Budweiser, will follow Harvick out the door.
The value of Stewart-Haas is up 14% to $123 million and ranks fifth. Tony Stewart and Gene Haas are building one of the top teams in NASCAR.
NASCAR's top nine teams are worth $143 million on average, up 1% over last year. Each of these teams are profitable by our count (some just barely) with team's cutting budgets in cases where sponsor shortfalls arise. Earnings are down 10% overall compared to 2011.(see more details and the complete list at Forbes)(3-14-2013)

Mother of Kurt, Kyle Busch in golf-cart accident at PIR: Gaye Busch, the mother of #78-Kurt and #18-Kyle Busch, was among those taken to a Phoenix area hospital Saturday after a golf cart tipped over in the tunnel underneath Phoenix International Raceway. Kurt Busch tweeted last night: "Don't get in any moving vehicle w/ my mom. She was involved in a crash in the tunnel b4 the end of the race. A little banged up" He updated his twitter page this morning: "Thx again for all the nice comments about mom. She's here at the track & in great spirits. She was touched by all the concern" According to Fox 10 in Phoenix, Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies say the golf cart had too many people on it, causing it to roll over. No one was significantly injured. (Sporting News)(3-3-2013)

#18 team changes engines; Busch to the rear: #18-Kyle Busch will start Sunday's Sprint Cup race at the rear of the field after his Joe Gibbs Racing team changed engines in his Toyota Sunday morning. Busch qualified 4th on Friday. Team noticed problems during the warmup and fixing the issue would be longer than changing the engine. Supposedly this issue is not related to the #11-Hamlin engine issue.(many Tweets)(3-3-2013)

Five races at Daytona for Kyle Busch: #18-Kyle Busch is scheduled to participate in a total of five races during the 2013 edition of Daytona Speedweeks  three Sprint Cup events (Sprint Unlimited, Gatorade Duel, and the 55th Daytona 500), along with the Feb. 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race for Kyle Busch Motorsports and the Feb. 23 NASCAR Nationwide Series race in a car fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing.(JGR)(2-15-2013)

Interstate Batteries returns to sponsor the #18: Interstate Batteries will return for the 21st season to sponsor the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for six races in 2013. Kyle Busch is scheduled to drive the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota at: Auto Club (3/24), Texas (4/13), Daytona (7/6), New Hampshire (7/14), Michigan (8/11) and Dover (9/29). See an image of the scheme on the #18 Team & Schemes page.(1-26-2013)

Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Agree to Contract Extension: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced today that it has signed driver Kyle Busch to a long-term contract extension. In addition, JGR will field the #54 Monster Energy Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013 with Busch serving as the primary driver. "I'm passionate about winning and that was a big factor in deciding to re-sign with Joe Gibbs Racing," said Busch. "I think JGR gives me the best opportunity to win a championship in the Cup Series for M&M's and Interstate Batteries. I know that everyone on our team is committed to that goal and will push towards making that a reality in 2013. I'm also looking forward to the opportunity to work with Adam Stevens in the Nationwide Series and put Monster Energy in Victory Lane where they belong. "I'm extremely proud of what we have accomplished in a short period of time at KBM in both the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. When we started KBM our attention was to build something for the long term and now we are going to put a greater focus on our future with Parker (Kligerman) competing in Nationwide and Joey (Coulter) running trucks."
The #54 Monster Energy Toyota will run a full season schedule for JGR with crew chief Adam Stevens calling the shots from atop the pit box. Busch is currently scheduled to drive the majority of the races in 2013. Additional drivers for the 54 team will be announced soon. "This is a big deal for us," said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. "It's no secret that you have to have great drivers to win in NASCAR and in the past year we've been able to secure long-term deals with Kyle and Denny and of course we were able to add Matt as well. Kyle is a big part of our success at JGR and we're thrilled to know he will be with us for a long time."(JGR)(1-24-2013)

Joe Gibbs Racing Notes from the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour: the final stop on the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour was Joe Gibbs Racing: Some notes from Twitter world
JGR officially announces multi-year extension with Kyle Busch.
Busch says he had two serious offers from other Sprint Cup teams to leave JGR (supposedly SHR was one).
Kyle Busch will also drive 25 Nationwide races for JGR in the #54.
Kyle says that Joe Gibbs Racing will supply engines for KBM (Kligerman in Nationwide, Coulter & Kyle in truck)
Denny Hamlin expects that new rear camber rules will make reliability a big topic in 2013.
Joe Gibbs says that all JGR Cup sponsors are signed for long term deals except one (Home Depot/Husky?).
Coach Gibbs says the 49ers will win this year's Super Bowl.
Matt Kenseth says changing teams at the same time as learning the new #car has been beneficial.
Elliott Sadler testing a Sprint Cup car today at New Smyrna Speedway but no Cup races set for him in 2013.
JD Gibbs says there will be an announcement on Bubba Wallace soon.
(from many Twitter reports/feeds)(1-24-2013)

Kyle Busch signed extension with JGR in December: #18-Kyle Busch has re-signed a long-term extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, removing one of the biggest names from the Sprint Cup Series' impending free-agent market. Two officials with direct knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports that Busch, whose contract at JGR was set to expire after the 2013 season, signed a multiyear deal in December [supposedly thru 2017]. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce the deal. The team had no comment on Busch's contract status. Asked Thursday night by USA TODAY Sports about whether he had a deal done, Busch coyly replied that "everybody will find out on (the team's) media day what's coming down." With Busch's future secure, JGR has its three drivers under long-term deals. Denny Hamlin re-signed an extension last season, and Matt Kenseth joined the organization this year in a multiyear contract. #78-Kurt Busch, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya and #39-Ryan Newman are the biggest names who aren't signed beyond 2013.(USA Today)(1-12-2013)

Study names NASCAR's Social Media Leaders: Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and #48-Jimmie Johnson are among NASCAR's strongest and most engaging users of social media, a new social media study of the NASCAR industry finds. The study  conducted by Tuckahoe Strategies, a strategic communications firm - scored drivers, teams and select NASCAR sponsors and partners on a 20-point scale. Joe Gibbs Racing topped the charts with a Social Media Score of 15 points, Hendrick trailed by one point at 14 points and Johnson scored 13 points.
Gibbs' online accounts comprise one of the broadest social media strategies for reaching fans of the sport. The team site, www.joegibbsracing.com, is up to date with timely features, and the homepage points to six social media platforms, including a mobile app for iPhone, Blackberry or Droid. The team maintains active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and FourSquare. Hendrick also has an active and diverse menu of social media platforms including a mobile app. Gibbs' social media score bested Hendrick's by a single point because of its slightly more effective home page promotion of its social media platforms.
Johnson is the most comprehensive user of social media among drivers. He reaches his audience on a broad array of platforms including: Facebook, 657,062 page likes; Twitter, 348,402 followers; YouTube, 265 subscribers; and Instagram, with an industry-leading 60,618 followers. Johnson's social media reach (the sum of all social media followers across platforms) is 1,066,347. This veritable "media machine" has a following larger than the circulation of the Los Angeles Times, which is the fourth largest newspaper in the country.
The sport's largest audience holder and content curator across the board is NASCAR. The sanctioning body regained a voice and a direct connection to its fan base this year after repossessing control of its online assets in a January 2012 agreement with Turner Sports Interactive. NASCAR's total social media reach is an astronomical 5,044,070, more than double the daily circulation of the largest U.S. newspaper, The Wall Street Journal. In fact, NASCAR commands the industry's top position in terms of audience on Facebook likes (3,239,504), Twitter followers (841,027) and YouTube subscribers (5,430). The sanctioning body also has 1,420 followers on Pinterest and a staggering 956,689 circles on Google+.(Tuckahoe Strategies)(1-10-2013)

Johnson favored to win 2013 title by oddsmakers: A well-known online bookmaker has spoken, and #48-Jimmie Johnson is the 2013 favorite to win the Sprint Cup. In the betting game, it's not even close. Johnson is listed at 4-1 by Bovada . Next comes a three-way tie for No. 2 with defending champ #2-Brad Keselowski, #11-Denny Hamlin and #18-Kyle Busch all at 17-2. Even though Busch failed to make the 2012 Chase, he is viewed as the second-most likely driver to win the 2013 title. Fourth on the list is #5-Kasey Kahne at 9-1, followed by three former champions at 12-1 -- #24-Jeff Gordon, #20-Matt Kenseth and #14-Tony Stewart, the 2011 champ. #99-Carl Edwards, the 2011 runner-up when he tied Stewart for the points total but had fewer wins, gets a decent betting line despite finishing 15th last season and going winless. He's 14-1 along with #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #15-Clint Bowyer and #16-Greg Biffle. #56-Martin Truex Jr. is 16-1, and #29-Kevin Harvick has the longest odds among the 2012 Chase drivers at 20-1, probably because he's a lame-duck driver at Richard Childress Racing. Harvick moves to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014. If you want to pick a real long shot, #39-Ryan Newman is listed at 50-1 along with #42-Juan Pablo Montoya. #1-Jamie McMurray, Montoya's teammate at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, is substantially better at 33-1. If you like #22-Joey Logano's chances in his first year at Penske Racing, you can get him at 40-1.(ESPN)(1-9-2012)

2013 silly season notes for #18-Kyle Busch / Joe Gibs Racing: no major changes in any way with the #18 team. With the new 6th generation car to Busch's liking, Busch could have a big year as he says he loves the new car. Busch only won one Sprint Cup Series race in 2012 and missed the Chase but had six top-five finishes in the last seven races. Dave Rogers returns as the crew chief. M&M's returns to sponsor 30 races, which includes Snickers and Wrigley Gum. No official word on longtime JGR sponsor Interstate Batteries, but they are expected beck for six races as the primary sponsor in 2013. See images of the M&M's regular scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page. See more about other teams on my 2013 Team / Driver Silly Season Chart.(1-9-2013)

More new 2013 car info: The 2013 season will mark the introduction of the 'Gen-6' NASCAR racecar. At the heart of the new car is a desire to see more competitive racing by cars that closely resemble their showroom counterparts. Here are some of the key changes that fans will notice:
1) Distinct body lines that match street vehicles
2) The "greenhouse" area is the same on every car
3) Longer nose and shorter tail to mimic street cars
4) Carbon fiber hood and decklid
5) New decals on windshield and roof
See the full post along with images at joegibbsracing.com.(11-30-2012)

Mars to be honored with NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award: Mars, Incorporated will be honored with the 2012 NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards held at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas on Thursday, November 29. Throughout its 23-year partnership, Mars has directly engaged race fans, customers and associates through an integrated marketing strategy that spanned across multiple activations, including: intellectual property, promotions, public relations, B2B, online, broadcast, event marketing and retail. The partnership represents one of the longest standing within the sport. In a recent study, it was revealed that Mars receives an impressive 4-to-1 return on its investment in NASCAR (measured by Mars tracking data). Additionally, its sponsorships create a fifth season of sales for the brand, which is on par with the size of the company's Christmas selling season.(NASCAR)(11-28-2012)

NASCAR Sponsor Mars, Inc. Thrilled With Partnership: Mars, Inc., the company responsible for manufacturing M&M's, has been a NASCAR sponsor for over 20 years [currently #18-Kyle Busch], which is one of the longest standing partnerships within the sport. It takes a lot of goodwill and success for a brand to stay connected to any one sport for such a vast amount of time. The proof may be found in the raw data, which NASCAR has provided to Forbes.com in an effort to showcase the value of its longtime partner in Mars, Inc. (specifically M&M's). Perhaps the most impressive statistic produced by NASCAR (and measured by Mars, Inc. tracking data) is that Mars, Inc. receives an impressive 4-to-1 return on investment from their sponsorship in NASCAR. Further analysis reveals that M&M's is the 4th most recognized brand in NASCAR with a 72% brand loyalty over competitors and that sponsorships effectively create a 5th season of sales for Mars, Inc., which is on par with the size of Mars North America Christmas selling season.(see full article Forbes)(11-16-2012)

Busch interested in Ross Kenseth for CWTS ride UPDATE: Kyle Busch would love to offer Ross Kenseth a Camping World Truck Series ride in 2013. While Busch is quite impressed with Kenseth and has raced against the 19-year-old in various series, the biggest stumbling block for inking a deal could be sponsorship. "I'd like to do something with Ross," Busch said. "It's just a problem trying to get funding. There's no backing for some of the drivers that are here right now. The price is obviously cheaper in the truck series. You can start small and grow big. But it's hard to get interest there." Ross Kenseth, the son of 2003 Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth, is currently studying engineering at Clemson University, but is earning quite the reputation on short tracks. In July, he won the Redbud 300 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway. Last month he was victorious in the All American 400 (Fairgrounds Speedway, Nashville) and in the Winchester (Ind.) 400, besting Busch in both events.(Fox Sports)(11-3-2012)
UPDATE: Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced that the team has signed Joey Coulter to compete for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver's championship in 2013. Further details regarding sponsorship and truck number will be announced at a later date.(KBM)(11-7-2012)

Gibbs Hauler driver wins challenge: Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tom McCrimmons was announced as the 2012 champion of the Pilot/Flying J Truck Driver Challenge Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was McCrimmons' second title, having won in 2009. It was also the fifth win in nine years for a JGR driver. McCrimmons pocketed $30,000 for his win in this year's contest. "I told him, 'Hey it's just like [NASCAR] drivers; you've gotta split that with us. It's 50-50,'" Joe Gibbs Racing President JD Gibbs joked. "When the race is over, we all travel home, fly home, ride home. The guys who drive the trucks  your job just begins. So I just want to say thank you on behalf of what you guys do for the sport, the way you guys do it with safety, the way you guys do it with class. It's a big deal." Eric Burgoyne of Champion Tire and Wheel finished second, earning $7,500, and Richard Petty Motorsports driver Bob Decker finished third, picking up $2,500. The 2013 Pilot/Flying J Truck Driver Challenge will celebrate the event's 10-year anniversary and will be supported by special advertisements created with the hauler drivers promoting highway safety.(CMS)(10-13-2012)

NASCAR D-Day 60th Anniversary Show Car Returns to the National D-Day Memorial: The National D-Day Memorial received some very special guests last Friday: three staff members from the Bank of America motorsports team transported the MBNA show car that was created in honor of the 60th Anniversary of D-Day and the MBNA 400 "A SALUTE TO HEROES" race at Dover International Speedway on June 6, 2004. The car came for a visit shortly after that race, but the visit was different & the car will now reside in Bedford, VA. Bank of America has agreed to donate the car to the Foundation so that it can be displayed at special events at the Memorial, in the community and the greater NASCAR audience. Bearing a distinct military and D-Day theme with the words "We will accept nothing less than full victory," the car also sports the Memorial's logo on both rear quarter panels. This is an accurate replica of the #18 car Bobby Labonte drove for Joe Gibbs Racing during the Dover race.
Jeffrey R. Fulgham, the Foundation's Vice-President for Finance and Development said "This is a very exciting day for all of us. The Foundation played a significant role in the 60th anniversary race and was instrumental in helping to develop the paint scheme for this car. There are many opportunities to use the car in promoting the Memorial throughout the region. We extend our sincere gratitude to the great team at Bank of America Motorsports for their support and commitment to the Memorial. For more information about the National D-Day Memorial, and its mission and programs, please visit www.dday.org.(8-23-2012)

JTG & JGR re-sign with Toyota: Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and JTG Daugherty Racing announced new multiyear extensions with Toyota on Tuesday. Lee White, the president of Toyota Racing Development, said all three teams will be with Toyota "for a long time to come." The announcement was made at TRD's Salisbury, N.C., shop where the re-designed 2013 Camry was introduced. It came amid speculation that Dodge, which loses anchor Penske Racing to Ford after this season, might target JGR. White admitted that one of Toyota's organizations was "ripe for the picking by one of our fellow manufacturers." "All have agreements with Toyota and TRD that extend beyond two more years," White said. "Rest assured, we enjoy our partners, we value our partners, and we expect to be competing with our partners on this dance floor for a long time." JGR owner Joe Gibbs said he never had conversations with Dodge.(ESPN)(5-23-2012)