Kyle Busch’s memory will live on at the Indianapolis 500.
Following the NASCAR driver’s sudden death from severe pneumonia earlier this week, Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean performed a tribute to the legendary Busch.
Grosjean drives the No. 18 car (the same number Busch used for much of his career), and the font on his vehicle has been tweaked to match the one that Busch previously employed.
Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern passed along the news, while also sharing pictures of what Grosjean’s Honda would look like for the race.
Stern reported that Fox Sports and Joe Gibbs Racing – who Busch raced with for 14 years – helped redesign the car.
Busch never actually got the chance to race in IndyCar’s flagship event, but he will be memorialized there nonetheless.
The pylon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (where Busch won the Brickyard 400 twice) will be lit on the 18th lap, while teams will be able to wear a No. 8 decal (for the number Busch ended his career driving with).
Busch’s tragic death was announced on Thursday, with his family saying in a statement that the medical evaluation provided to them said his pneumonia progressed “into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”
He was initially hospitalized with what his family called a serious illness.
It was later reported by the Associated Press that Busch had become unresponsive the day before his death while testing a racing simulator in Concord, N.C.
“A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation,” a joint statement on behalf of the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR read.
“He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled, and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series.
“His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’”
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