Thomas Annunziata and Nitro Motorsports’ planned tribute to Kyle Busch for this weekend’s ARCA Menards Series event at Lime Rock Park has been called off, the team tells JosephSrigley.com.
Nick Tucker, co-owner of the juggernaut ARCA Menards Series team, says that the idea for the throwback paint scheme came together rather quickly, and that “the timeline for all involved didn’t work out to get it done in time”.
The paint scheme, revealed on Wednesday, was designed to match that of Kyle Busch’s 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning racecar, which sported the branding of M&M’s, a long-time partner of Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing.
“As you can imagine, the approval process for something like this is lengthy, and Nitro Motorsports has run out of time to complete all the necessary steps,” said a representative from Nitro Motorsports.
It is unknown what Annunziata’s No. 70 Toyota Camry will look like upon arriving at Lime Rock on Friday.
Thomas Annunziata and Nitro Motorsports will honor the late Kyle Busch this weekend at Lime Rock Park, running a tribute paint scheme on the No. 70 Toyota Camry in the ARCA Menards Series.
Annunziata, the defending ARCA Menards Series winner at Lime Rock Park, unveiled the specially designed paint scheme on Wednesday, which will carry the colors of Busch’s 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning paint scheme – the iconic yellow M&M’s machine.
That season, driving for Toyota Racing USA leader Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch secured his second NASCAR Cup Series title while driving the iconic No. 18. On the way to the championship, secured with a victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch earned five wins (Phoenix, Fontana, Bristol, Pocono, and Homestead), 17 top-fives and a series-leading 27 top-10s – a mark nobody has matched since then.
The 21-year-old driver grew up a fan of Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the winningest driver in the history of NASCAR’s National Series. Busch, a future NASCAR Hall of Famer, passed away in May, due to complications from pneumonia at the age of 41.
A native of Colts Neck, New Jersey, Annunziata has been known to sport a throwback paint scheme from time to time during his stint in the ARCA Menards Series – including iconic designs like a Mello Yellow-themed car, and a Rainbow Warriors-themed car. Last season, at Sonoma Raceway, Annunziata paid tribute to Jeff Gordon with a paint scheme emulating is famous Nicorette-sponsored No. 24.
Annunziata says that this throwback scheme, the iconic yellow M&M’s design, “just made sense”.
With 11 of 20 ARCA Menards Series events in the books this season, Annunziata is currently sitting second in series point standings, behind Nitro Motorsports teammate Jake Bollman. The driver of the No. 70 has recorded five top fives this season, including two runner-up results at Toledo and Berlin.
Lime Rock Park marks a big weekend for Annunziata, as the road course serves as his home racetrack, while also being the place he collected his maiden victory in the ARCA Menards Series last July. Annunziata will also make his second NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start this weekend for TRICON Garage.
The Lime Rock Park ARCA 100 will take place on Friday, July 10 at 4:00 PM ET, with coverage on FOX Sports 2.
Photo: Nitro Motorsports
