Why did Joe Gibbs release Kyle Busch? Looking back at former NASCAR Cup champion's 2022 exit

Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing had one of the most hefty contracts among the entire NASCAR paddock, which helped retain the former for a staggering 15 years before he officiated his switch to a rival team.

Back in 2008, Busch moved from Hendrick Motorsports to the JGR's stable, and since then, the pairing has clinched two NASCAR Cup Series championships and 56 race wins in their 15-year-long relationship.

Joe Gibbs secured a heavy influx of cash, amounting to a whopping $20 million annually from Mars Inc. Through its confectionary brand, M&M's, the sponsor didn't leave Kyle Busch's side during the entirety of his run with the team.

However, as the 2022 calendar year neared its conclusion, the three-decade-plus arrangement with Mars stood up for renewal and the primary sponsor decided to part ways with the sport. It meant that Busch was left with no sponsor to compensate him fairly.

Per The Athletic, JGR tried to retain Busch with a big chunk of dollars despite being without sponsors to back their expensive affair. Still, Kyle Busch thought it best to join Richard Childress Racing and give up his seat at the Toyota-powered team.

The 38-year-old reasoned his exit from the team, stating that money was not the primary reason behind his departure. He said in July 2022, via the aforementioned source:

“I don’t think money has ever been the objective or ever been the issue...I’ve already said that I’m willing to take concessions and race for under my market value and go forward and being able to stay in the seat that I’ve made home for the last 15 years."

The Nevada native added:

“I feel as though I’ve said, and I’ll continue to say, my first goal is to stay at Joe Gibbs Racing. But if the musical chairs music stops, and I’m still standing and I don’t have a seat, I’m screwed. So, I have to make sure that I continue to talk and evaluate each place and each situation to find something.”

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Kyle Busch slams the racing approach of the younger generation of NASCAR drivers

The RCR driver is gearing up for the Food City 500 that will be hosted by the Bristol Motor Speedway. The fifth race on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series calendar is scheduled to commence on Sunday, March 17, at 3.30 PM ET and will be televised by Fox and MRN.

A total of 36 drivers will battle for the highly coveted P1 spot across the 500-lap race on the 0.533-mile oval. Kyle Busch will aim to produce another banger just like he did at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, finishing P3 by a slim margin of 0.007 seconds over the winner, Daniel Suarez.

Ahead of his Bristol run, Busch has outlined the wreck-filled races that the younger generation is prioritizing over actually sealing the wins. He unfurled his thoughts on the Pat McAfee Show, from which the stated excerpt was shared on X (formerly Twitter) account:

“The younger generation is all about crashing before winning, so they tend to just throw it into the corner alongside of you and just wipe you out more times than not. Last week there was a couple of crashes, a couple of guys were pissed off at each other."