Romain Grosjean No. 18 Indy Car to be stylized to pay tribute to late Kyle Busch's NASCAR during Indy 500

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Romain Grosjean No. 18 Indy Car to be stylized to pay tribute to late Kyle Busch's NASCAR during Indy 500 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Kyle Busch’s sudden death at age 41 last week has resulted in countless tributes in the motorsports world, with many honoring the life of the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. That will continue at the 2026 Indy 500.

Dale Coyne Racing is set to help memorialize Busch, with Romain Grosjean planning to drive a No. 18 car that will pay homage to the late NASCAR star.

With help from FOX commentator and former racer Townsend Bell, FOX Sports, and JGR, Busch’s former No. 18 will be seen on the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Here’s how Dale Coyne Racing and Grosjean are honoring Busch in the Indy 500.

MORE: Reactions, tributes from sports world honoring Kyle Busch

Coyne Racing pays special tribute to Kyle Busch​

On Saturday night, Sports Business Journal reporter Adam Stern reported that after Bell came up with the idea, Dale Coyne Racing was officially able to execute on bringing Busch's former No. 18 to the Indy 500.

Busch drove with the No. 18 from 2008 through the 2022 NASCAR Cup season and had 56 of his 63 Cup wins with the number, per Motorsport.

Dale Coyne Racing is also changing the No. 18 font on Grosjean's 2026 Indy 500 car to mirror the font formerly used by Busch.

.@DaleCoyneRacing will run its No. 18 car in tomorrow's Indy 500 with the same font that Kyle Busch used for years @JoeGibbsRacing to pay respect to the NASCAR legend.

DCR said that @TownsendBell had the idea and that @FOXSports and JGR helped assist on the effort. pic.twitter.com/xXGFW9K7Wu

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) May 23, 2026

Bell also shared a message to social media, with his idea to honor Busch coming to life:

Thanks to @DaleCoyneRacing + @JoeGibbsRacing for making it happen. I’m still struggling to process this tragedy. @KyleBusch was a teammate @Lexus. He couldn’t have been more generous when my son first arrived in Charlotte. He was a friend and I got to see his true character https://t.co/tW3CIuqfhI

— Townsend Bell (@townsendbell) May 24, 2026

Who is Romain Grosjean?​

Grosjean is making his fourth Indy 500 appearance in 2026, also with 181 Formula 1 races throughout his career. He qualified 24th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the No. 18 DCR Honda, with his best past finish in the race being 19th in 2024.

Grosjean will have a stylized No. 18 on his car in a font to honor Busch's former NASCAR number during Sunday's race.

Romain Grosjean will carry Kyle Busch’s No. 18 in the Indy 500. pic.twitter.com/i2GJQfbLWz

— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 24, 2026

What happened to Kyle Busch?​

Busch died at age 41 on Thursday after being hospitalized with a "severe illness," as his family initially announced.

On Saturday, the Busch family released a statement that said a medical evaluation concluded that Busch's "severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications," per Jeff Gluck.

MORE: Everything known about illness that led to Kyle Busch's death

Continue reading...