Vegas based Ethel M Chocolates celebrates 40 years with special Kyle Busch paint scheme

© Christian Andrade Cashman PhotoVegas based Ethel M Chocolates celebrates 40 years with special Kyle Busch paint scheme Kyle Busch has had plenty of his better moments in his hometown thanks to six NASCAR wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but if he gets to Victory Lane in Sunday's Cup race, it will be with another Las Vegas native featured on his car. That's because Ethel M Chocolates, the craft chocolate division of Mars Wrigley that is based in Nevada, is celebrating its 40-year anniversary with a primary paint scheme featured on Busch's No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Ethel M Chocolates is teaming up with Busch, the two-time Cup champion, in a campaign to create better moments and smiles. If Busch does get his first Cup win at his hometown track since 2009, then it would fit right in with the uplifting theme. The weekend already provided some big smiles when Kyle Busch Motorsports finished 1-2 in Friday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. John Hunter Nemechek took home top honors, with owner/driver Busch coming in second place.

RELATED: Photos of Kyle Busch's extra sweet weekend in Vegas

What might also put a smile on your face is that Busch happens to have a personal connection to Ethel M Chocolates. When he was growing up in the area, he was a frequent visitor to their flagship store, factory and 3-acre Cactus Garden in Henderson, Nevada, and his car was on display there on Saturday before the Cup race in a socially distanced environment.

"When I was a kid, my grandma used to bring me out to the Ethel M Factory and Cactus Garden, and it was one of my favorite places to visit in Vegas," Busch said. "Even during a difficult time, we're glad to bring a better moment to fans by giving them a chance to connect with the new car in a safe way."

These have been difficult times due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic and, in addition to sponsoring the paint scheme, Ethel M Chocolates is also donating 40,000 meals to Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas, using their involvement in the race weekend to help those in the Las Vegas community who are most in need.

"We're so excited to honor the Ethel M legacy by kicking off 40th-anniversary celebrations in our own backyard alongside fellow Las Vegas legend, Kyle Busch, during this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race," said William Clements, Vice President, Mars Wrigley Sponsorships. "More importantly, we're honored to be able to give back to those who need it most through a donation to the Three Square Food Bank, who do fantastic work across our community."

"In true Ethel M style, they are marking their 40th anniversary by giving an amazing gift to Southern Nevada - the gift of food!" said Three Square Food Bank President and CEO Brian Burton. "As 1 in 5 individuals in our community are now struggling with hunger, we rely on gracious and 'sweet' partners like Ethel M to help us realize our vision that no one in our community should be hungry."

Besides the flagship store, Ethel M Chocolates also has an establishment at Town Square, just south of the Las Vegas Strip, and Las Vegas' McCarran Airport, among its other store offerings. Therefore, race fans in the Las Vegas area should never be too far from their favorite chocolates.

However, if you aren't in the Las Vegas area, you can purchase these unique Las Vegas made chocolates, such as Bourbon Liqueurs, Pecan Brittle and KONA Espresso Truffles at ethelm.com and then tune in to FOX on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET for the race and enjoy watching Busch battle the top NASCAR competitors in his sweet ride. In 19 Cup Series races at Las Vegas, Busch has compiled 10 top-10 finishes with seven top fives.

]]>