Since his death on May 21 at the age of 41, there have been many tributes to Kyle Busch around NASCAR.
Fellow Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace has the name “Rowdy” pained above his car door instead of his own name.
The tracks have the number eight painted on the grass to honour Busch – he drove the number eight car for Richard Childress Racing.
His former car owner Joe Gibbs Racing paired up with former sponsor M&M’s to run a tribute car.
And there are more to come as the 2026 NASCAR season winds down.
But perhaps the most touching tribute is the one the fans never see… In the drivers’ meeting room sits an empty chair bearing Busch’s name.
Last weekend NASCAR closed out the regular season at the place where it all began…Daytona International Speedway. But that isn’t the only person who was there…
Actor Tom Cruise has made some very iconic films during his career – the “Mission Impossible” films, “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick”, and “Days of Thunder” which had portions of the movie filmed at Daytona including the infamous crash scene.
Cruise returned to Daytona to announce the making of “Days of Thunder II” with a release date in June 2028 and the return of Cole Trickle.
After speaking, Cruise sat down among the drivers…next to the empty chair. There was no fanfare, no big Hollywood moves, and no words – simply a touch on the seat of the empty chair to honour the winningest driver in NASCAR.