Busch Loses M&Ms for now

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Courtesy of Nascar.com

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Kyle Busch will compete this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, but not with primary sponsor M&M's on his race car.

Mars Inc., the parent company of M&M's, announced late Thursday that it would not be on the No. 18 Toyota for the final two races of this season, Phoenix and next week's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. According to NASCAR's entry list, Busch's vehicle was supposed to feature M&M's colors at Phoenix, but all that changed after he intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday under caution in a Camping World Truck Series event last Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, an action that has since engulfed Busch in a firestorm of controversy.

After Kyle Busch's on-track actions during the Truck Series race at Texas, Busch, his team and his sponsors continue to deal with the ramifications heading into Phoenix this weekend.

As a result, Busch was parked for both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup events at Texas, and the sanctioning body also fined him $50,000 and placed him on probation through the end of the year. Although NASCAR allowed Busch to finish out this season, the question soon became whether his race team or his car sponsor would present a barrier to him getting back on the track.

In the end, Mars balked at Busch's behavior, something that became evident only after a long Thursday of waiting for the Gibbs team to shed some kind of light on the status of its driver. The situation at one point was so uncertain that the Gibbs team contacted former developmental driver Aric Almirola, who now pilots an entry for JR Motorsports on the Nationwide tour, on Wednesday about potentially driving the No. 18 Sprint Cup car should Busch not be available.

Busch will not drive an M&M's car again until 2012, when he will be reunited with his primary sponsor with the expectation that no future incidents take place, the company said. Interstate Batteries will fill in as primary sponsor for the final two weeks of this season, according to the Gibbs team. Interstate is JGR's longest-serving corporate partner, having been with the organization since its inception 20 years ago. These days it typically fills an associate sponsorship role, acting as primary sponsor for only about six events each year.

"As a proud member of the racing community, Mars and the M&M's brand strongly support the partnership we have with Joe Gibbs Racing and are committed to NASCAR. Yet, Kyle's recent actions are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of Mars," Debra A. Sandler, chief consumer officer of Mars, said in a statement. "While we do not condone Kyle's recent actions, we do believe that he has shown remorse and has expressed a desire to change. We believe our decision will have a positive impact on Kyle and will help him return next season ready to win."

Busch is scheduled to address the media Friday in Phoenix at 9:30 a.m. local time. Team owner Joe Gibbs said he supported Mars' decision to split with the driver until next year. "This gives us all time to work together to foster a positive change where Kyle can continue racing in a way we can all be proud of," Gibbs said in a statement.

The Mars company isn't the only sponsor evidently unhappy with Busch -- Z-Line Designs, which is scheduled to back the No. 18 Gibbs Nationwide car next weekend at Homestead-Miami, has asked for Denny Hamlin to replace Busch in that vehicle, sources have confirmed. Busch has tried to make amends in recent days, addressing his No. 18 team before a Sprint Cup race at Texas in which Michael McDowell drove his car, issuing an open letter of apology, and speaking earlier this week over the telephone with Hornaday.
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I think Kyle has [had] a great relationship with those guys in the past. I'm not sure where that is now ... but hopefully they can work it out.
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-- ELLIOTT SADLER

But to M&M's, the damage was done. Perhaps no one better understands what it means to represent the Mars company than Elliott Sadler, who drove an M&M's-backed car for Robert Yates Racing from 2003-06. When he would make a misstep -- say, act a certain way in front of the television camera, or throw something at another competitor -- he said he'd receive a telephone call. "They'd never call and cuss me out," Sadler said Thursday. "They'd just remind me, 'This is what we're all about.' And you know what? I love them for it. They made me a better person."

Experiences like that give Sadler some insight into what Busch may have gone through recently. "I definitely think from being on that side of the fence that they're sitting down with him this week, I'm sure, and just kind of going through what their brand means and what it represents," he said. "I've had that talk. It's a family-run and owned business from day one, and everybody that's involved with their brand, they want them to act accordingly."

Busch's situation underscores what can sometimes be a delicate balance between drivers and sponsors, particularly if one's personality doesn't completely mesh with the others' image. When Tony Stewart struck a photographer after the race at Indianapolis in 2002, the largest fine he incurred came not from NASCAR, but Home Depot, his primary car sponsor at the time. All sponsors are image-conscious and want themselves represented in a certain way. The Mars company is among the most vigilant in that regard, Sadler said.

"I'm going to tell you what, every sponsor I've ever dealt with in this sport is image-conscious. I've got a list of them right here on my chest, and we try to play by a certain set of rules week in and week out, and try to represent their brand the best way we can. And I would take it a step further -- Mars is probably the most [image-conscious], because of the people that they're tailoring to. You've got kids looking up to you because you drive the M&M's car. That is a different set of rules on that car than on a lot of the other cars that have sponsorships in this sport," he said.

"I'm going to tell you what -- they're great people. The Mars people are awesome. They've been good to this sport, and I remember when I drove the M&M's car, they treated me and my family like I was a Mars person, big-time. I think Kyle has [had] a great relationship with those guys in the past. I'm not sure where that is now ... but hopefully they can work it out. We want and need Kyle Busch as a part of the sport. I think he's good for the fans, I think he's good for the sport. And we definitely want M&M's as a part of the sport. They're a huge sponsorship and a huge footprint. they've been a part of this sport for a long time, and we want those guys to stay around, definitely."