NASCAR: Fake Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing announcement spreads

Kyle Busch’s status for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season has become such a talking point that now fans are beginning to make things up.

Kyle Busch entered the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season without a contract to compete for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023, but even with primary sponsor Mars Wrigley announcing after the 2021 season ended that the 2022 season would be their last, a contract extension was seen as not much more than a formality for the two-time champion.

Unfortunately, that has proven not to be the case. What was once a promising sponsorship development recently fell through, and many within the industry are bracing for Busch to make the move to a new organization after 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing, with Kaulig Racing currently seen as the most likely landing spot.

While the possibility of the 37-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, and Toyota as a whole, is seen as increasingly likely by the day, somebody has jumped the gun and gone ahead and penned a fake press release indicating he won’t be back.

Even if it is true that Busch doesn’t return, this release, which is incorrectly attributed to Joe Gibbs Racing, is illegitimate.

The press release, which made its rounds on social media — specifically through Kyle Busch Facebook groups — on Friday night, is titled “Joe Gibbs Racing Statement Regarding Kyle Busch 2023 Driving Plans” and states the following.

"“Kyle Busch will no longer drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023. A mutual agreement has been met and Kyle Busch will be released from the team following the 2022 season.“We here at JGR will do our best to finish what has been a successful partnership by competing for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Title.“We wish Kyle, His wife Samantha, and his son Brexton the best as they pursue another path, wherever life may lead them.“A driver for the iconic #18 will be announced at a later date. We ask that you respect the privacy of Joe Gibbs, Kyle Busch and his family, and the team and employees here at JGR.“We thank all the fans for your support throughout the years.”-JGR-"

While many were quick to see that the release was clearly fake, others fell for it. There are a few key giveaways that indicate its fraudulence.

One, and most importantly, it didn’t actually come from Joe Gibbs Racing, as there is nothing on the team’s website or any of the team’s social media accounts resembling such an announcement.

Two, it doesn’t read like an official press release, with lines such as “wherever life may lead them”, “the iconic #18”, “we here at JGR”, “the team and employees”, etc.

Three, a PR team generally doesn’t make grammatical mistakes on a release of this nature. Capitalizing the “T” in “title” and the “H” in “his” are clear indicators of fake news.

Four, there is no need for Kyle Busch to be “released” by Joe Gibbs Racing. He doesn’t have a contract to compete in 2023 anyway, so no “mutual agreement” needs to be met for him to go elsewhere. If he is to leave, he can simply sign elsewhere with no penalty.

And finally, “we ask that you respect the privacy of Joe Gibbs, Kyle Busch and his family, and the team and employees here at JGR” makes no sense in this context. This isn’t a tragedy we’re talking about; it’s business. What would the left or right front tire changer’s privacy have to do with Busch driving for another team?

It’s almost as if the release was written to garner laughs rather than actually trick anybody. It achieved both.

Until an official announcement is made (and verified by all parties involved, considering some of the other silly season craziness we have seen in racing this summer), nothing of this nature should be taken seriously.