Kyle Busch entered the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a massive target on his back as the reigning series champion. Piloting the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota Camry, his car served as a billboard for some of the most recognizable corporate brands in motorsports. The 2016 lineup moved away from the green M&M's Crispy look of the previous year, transitioning into a dynamic rotation of milestone anniversary designs, patriotic variations, and classic sponsor layouts.
Search intent for this topic centers on cataloging the specific liveries, understanding the corporate partnerships behind Joe Gibbs Racing, and identifying rare one-off variants used during crown jewel events. While surface-level summaries miss the exact race distribution and design mechanics, this breakdown covers every primary scheme, special variant, and design evolution fielded by the No. 18 team during the 2016 campaign.
The 75th Anniversary M&M's Primary Scheme
The cornerstone of Busch's 2016 season was a bright yellow M&M's scheme built to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Mars brand. Unlike the green scheme from 2015, this design brought back classic yellow as the base color and featured vintage iterations of the M&M's characters alongside modern versions on the rear quarter-panels.
This primary livery appeared in the majority of regular-season races. The hood showcased a giant candy graphic, while the sides utilized clean red accents framing the primary sponsor logo.
Special M&M's Variations
- Red, White, and Blue Scheme: Raced at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and Michigan International Speedway in June, this patriotic variant swapped yellow for deep red and blue stripes to honor Memorial Day and American racing traditions.
- Halloween Scheme: Raced at Martinsville Speedway in October, featuring spooky seasonal branding elements integrated into the standard yellow template.
- All-Star Race Number Shift: For the Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte, Busch ran a unique look featuring a large number 75 on the side doors instead of the traditional 18 to highlight the brand's milestone year.
Skittles and Interstate Batteries Support Roles
While M&M's anchored the bulk of the schedule, Skittles and Interstate Batteries filled out the remaining anchor races for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The Skittles scheme maintained its vibrant, multi-colored rainbow aesthetic, utilizing purple and green gradients that popped under both daytime sun and Saturday night stadium lights. Fans frequently praised this livery for its aggressive contrast on intermediate ovals.
Interstate Batteries returned for a select six-race primary schedule, hitting tracks like Texas Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Michigan, Darlington Raceway, and Charlotte. The 2016 Interstate design featured a sharp black-and-silver base with a signature green energy bolt splitting the hood, giving the No. 18 Toyota a distinctly menacing track presence.
The Darlington Throwback: Honoring Dale Jarrett
One of the most anticipated visual moments of 2016 occurred during the Southern 500 weekend at Darlington Raceway. Joe Gibbs Racing outfitted Busch's Toyota in a tribute scheme mirroring Dale Jarrett's iconic 1993 Daytona 500-winning Interstate Batteries car.
The throwback design featured the classic deep green and white block styling from the early 1990s, complete with period-accurate font placements for contingency sponsors. It remains a fan-favorite collector piece among die-cast enthusiasts and is widely considered one of the cleanest execution models of the modern Darlington throwback era.
Additional One-Off Brand Mentions
Joe Gibbs Racing integrated secondary corporate siblings into the paint scheme rotation for single-race appearances:
- Pedigree: Raced at Dover International Speedway in May, featuring a clean white-and-yellow layout promoting pet adoption awareness.
- Snickers Crisper: Utilized a chocolate-brown and green color palette to promote the specific candy bar variant early in the calendar.
To explore official die-cast releases and professional photo archives of these exact configurations, visit Lionel Racing or check historical records on Jayski's Silly Season Site.
Common Misconceptions About the 2016 No. 18 Liveries
Many casual fans confuse the 2016 yellow M&M's anniversary car with the standard green M&M's Crispy scheme used in 2015. Another frequent mix-up involves the All-Star race number change; the car didn't run a permanent number switch for the points-paying championship rounds, retaining the historic No. 18 everywhere else.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many different primary sponsors did Kyle Busch have in 2016?
Busch primarily drove for three major corporate anchors managed by Mars and Interstate Batteries—M&M's, Skittles, and Interstate Batteries—while sprinkling in single-race appearances from Pedigree and Snickers.
Why did Kyle Busch drive the number 75 at Charlotte?
He temporarily altered his car's primary graphic focus during the All-Star event to celebrate the 75th corporate anniversary of M&M's.
What was the inspiration behind the Darlington throwback car?
The car paid direct homage to Dale Jarrett's legendary 1993 Daytona 500 victory, utilizing retro Interstate Batteries branding.
