Dale Coyne Racing will put Kyle Busch’s classic No. 18 on its Indianapolis 500 entry on Sunday, turning one of NASCAR’s most recognizable numbers into a tribute at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The display will appear during the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500, even though Busch never raced in the event or in IndyCar.
The tribute lands on a day when the number still carries real weight. Busch, now 41, wore No. 18 for 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing and used it through both of his Cup Series championship seasons, building the kind of identity that made the number instantly familiar to NASCAR fans. He also had success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in NASCAR, adding another layer to why the number resonates there.
Dale Coyne Racing’s entry will carry the number used by Romain Grosjean, who is set to start Sunday’s race in 24th. That connection matters because the No. 18 belongs to Grosjean’s car, making the tribute a swap in presentation rather than a change to the entry itself. The gesture was not simple window dressing, either. Numbers are typically trademarked, so the idea that came from Fox Sports IndyCar commentator Townsend Bell required getting in touch with Joe Gibbs Racing before it could move ahead.
That extra step says plenty about how much the number still means. Busch has been described as a legend in the NASCAR ranks and someone respected across motorsports, and the No. 18 is the one many fans still associate most closely with him, even though he has raced with other numbers across NASCAR’s three national series. For Dale Coyne Racing, the tribute is a way to acknowledge that legacy in front of one of the biggest crowds in motorsports, while also giving the Indianapolis 500 a nod to a driver who never made the race but left his mark on the track anyway.
The result is a rare crossover moment built around a number rather than a driver in the cockpit. Grosjean will go to the green flag from 24th, but the car around him will carry a reminder of Busch’s two-title run and his long stretch at Joe Gibbs Racing. It is a tribute with history behind it, and it will be visible on one of racing’s biggest stages.
