Dale Coyne Racing Adds Kyle Busch Indy 500 Number to No. 18 Honda
Dale Coyne Racing will put the kyle busch indy 500 number on the No. 18 Honda at the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500, turning a familiar NASCAR identifier into a tribute on one of motorsport’s biggest stages. Romain Grosjean will drive that car and start Sunday’s race in 24th place.
Busch’s No. 18 Returns
The number will be the classic No. 18 Busch used for 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series, including both of his championship seasons. That run made the number one of the most recognizable parts of his career, even though he never raced in the Indianapolis 500 or the IndyCar Series.
The tribute is built around that history. Busch had success at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in NASCAR, and Dale Coyne Racing is leaning on that connection rather than trying to force a crossover that never happened on track.
Townsend Bell’s Idea
Townsend Bell came up with the tribute, then the idea had to clear a practical hurdle: racing numbers are typically trademarked. That meant contacting Joe Gibbs Racing before the display could move forward.
The result links Busch, Grosjean and the No. 18 in one place, even though only one of them has ever driven that number through a championship run in the Cup Series. Grosjean takes the car into the Indianapolis 500 field from 24th, with the tribute sitting on top of a starting spot that leaves Dale Coyne Racing chasing track position as well as attention.
For Busch, the display brings his number into the Indianapolis 500 without adding a lap to his IndyCar record. For Dale Coyne Racing, it is a visual nod that will be seen from the first moment the No. 18 Honda rolls onto the Speedway.
