The number that stuck, the one fans picture first
Though Kyle Busch never turned a lap in IndyCar competition, the number that defined his NASCAR legacy will roll onto the most storied oval in American motorsport on Sunday. Dale Coyne Racing's decision to honor Busch at the 110th Indianapolis 500 — with Romain Grosjean carrying the iconic No. 18 — speaks to something larger than series boundaries: the way a career, lived with enough intensity, earns recognition that transcends the circuits where it was built. It is a reminder that greatness, properly witnessed, has a way of traveling.
- A NASCAR legend's most iconic number is crossing into IndyCar territory for the first time, a gesture that blurs the traditional walls between America's two premier open-wheel and stock car worlds.
- The tribute required navigating trademark law — Joe Gibbs Racing's approval was essential before the No. 18 could legally appear on a Dale Coyne Honda, adding institutional weight to what began as a commentator's idea.
- Fox Sports IndyCar analyst Townsend Bell originated the concept, turning a broadcaster's admiration into a coordinated cross-series act of recognition.
- Grosjean starts 24th, meaning the tribute car must fight through the field if the No. 18 is to do more than look good on the grid — the race itself becomes the final word on whether the honor lands with impact.
Kyle Busch never raced at Indianapolis in an IndyCar, but on Sunday the number most synonymous with his name will take the green flag at the 110th Indy 500. Dale Coyne Racing will run the iconic No. 18 on Romain Grosjean's Honda — a cross-series tribute to a driver who spent 15 years building his legacy under that number at Joe Gibbs Racing, including both of his Cup Series championship seasons.
The scheme carries real weight. The No. 18 ran alongside the M&M's livery that became inseparable from Busch's identity, and though he wore other numbers across NASCAR's national series, the 18 is the one that stuck in the public imagination. His connection to Indianapolis Motor Speedway runs deep through NASCAR alone — he won races there and was a consistent presence at the facility. His brother Kurt famously attempted the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double in 2014, a reminder of how far the Busch name reaches in racing.
The tribute came together through an unlikely chain. Townsend Bell, who calls IndyCar races for Fox Sports, conceived the idea. Because numbers are trademarked property, Dale Coyne Racing needed permission from Joe Gibbs Racing before the paint scheme could appear — and they got it. What emerged is something genuine: a formal acknowledgment that Busch's influence extended well beyond the ovals where he actually competed.
Grosjean starts 24th, so the No. 18 has ground to make up. But the Indy 500 rewards execution over 200 laps more than starting position. A strong run up the field could transform this tribute from a visual gesture into a story — the kind that gives a number, and the man behind it, one more moment worth remembering.
Kyle Busch never drove in the Indianapolis 500. He never competed in IndyCar. But on Sunday, his most recognizable number will take the green flag at the 110th Running of the Indy 500, carried on the hood of a Dale Coyne Racing Honda piloted by Romain Grosjean.
The No. 18 belongs to Busch's legacy in NASCAR, where he spent 15 years wearing that number in the Cup Series. It's the one fans picture first—the one that ran alongside the M&M's paint schemes that became as much a part of his identity as his driving. Busch cycled through other numbers across NASCAR's three national series, including the No. 5 and No. 8, but the 18 is the one that stuck. He drove it during both of his championship seasons, cementing it as the number most closely tied to his name.
The tribute came together through an unlikely chain of people. Townsend Bell, who commentates IndyCar races for Fox Sports, conceived the idea. But numbers in motorsports are trademarked property, which meant Dale Coyne Racing couldn't simply paint the scheme without permission. They reached out to Joe Gibbs Racing, the team where Busch made his mark, and got the green light. What emerged is a genuine cross-series honor—a recognition that Busch's influence extended far beyond the oval tracks where he actually competed.
Busch's connection to Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is substantial, even if it was always within NASCAR. He accumulated considerable success there in the Cup Series, winning races and building a record that made him a fixture at the facility. His brother Kurt, also a former Cup Series champion, attempted the famous double duty in 2014, running both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day—a feat that underscores just how much the Busch name means in racing circles.
Grosjean will start Sunday's race from 24th position, which means he has work to do if the No. 18 is going to make a statement. But the Indy 500 is a race where position at the start matters less than execution over 200 laps. Anything can happen on that track. A strong finish, a move up the field, a moment of brilliance—any of it would turn this tribute into something more than a paint scheme. It would turn it into a story worth telling.
Citas Notables
The idea came from Fox Sports IndyCar commentator Townsend Bell and required coordination with Joe Gibbs Racing— Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern reporting
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does a NASCAR driver's number matter so much in IndyCar? They're different series, different cars, different everything.
Because numbers become shorthand for a driver's entire career. When you close your eyes and think Kyle Busch, you see that 18. It's not just a number—it's 15 years of racing, two championships, all those M&M's schemes. Putting it on a car at Indy is saying: we remember who you are, and what you meant to this sport.
But Busch never raced there. He never even tried IndyCar. So what's the actual connection?
Respect. He was dominant in NASCAR, and that dominance was visible at Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself. His brother tried the double duty there. The motorsports world is smaller than it looks—drivers know each other, teams know each other. Busch earned credibility everywhere, even in series he didn't race in.
How did this actually happen? Did Grosjean ask for it?
No. Townsend Bell, an IndyCar commentator, had the idea. But you can't just slap a number on a car if it's trademarked. So they had to call Joe Gibbs Racing and ask permission. That's the real story—two teams, two series, coming together to say something matters.
And Grosjean starts 24th. Does that make the tribute feel hollow?
Not at all. It makes it real. If he finishes strong, if he moves up, then the 18 actually means something on Sunday. That's what makes it worth doing.