The world of motorsports remains in a state of shock this weekend, after Thursday’s announcement that NASCAR legend Kyle Busch had passed away at the age of 41, after the onset of a severe illness later revealed to be pneumonia and sepsis.
Busch was the full-time driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, and throughout a career spanning two decades had secured 234 wins in NASCAR’s National Series – the most ever. Of those wins, 63 came at NASCAR’s top level.
While the Las Vegas, Nevada-native never made a start in the NTT IndyCar Series, it wasn’t because of a lack of interest; stating many times that he was interested in running “The Double” (competing in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same afternoon).
Busch, recognized globally as a motorsports legend, will have some posthumous representation in “The Greatest Spectacle of Racing” this year, courtesy of a touching tribute from Dale Coyne Racing and Romain Grosjean.
When the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 gets underway on Memorial Day Sunday, Grosjean will have the stylized No. 18 on his Bitcoin MAX Honda that Kyle Busch utilized in the NASCAR Cup Series while at Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 to 2022.
According to Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, it was INDYCAR on FOX analyst Townsend Bell that had the idea to honor Busch with the number on the No. 18, and with help from FOX Sports and Joe Gibbs Racing, it became a reality.
Grosjean will roll from 24th in the Indianapolis 500. Coverage will be on Sunday at Noon ET on FOX.
