Tom Cruise paid tribute to late NASCAR driver Kyle Busch while at Daytona International Speedway, where he announced the long-awaited sequel to his 1990 movie, Days of Thunder.
Cruise, 64, sat next to an empty chair, reserved for Busch, at the pre-race driver’s meeting ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday, August 29. A sign taped to the chair read, “Kyle Busch” with the legend’s No. 8, as Cruise occasionally patted the seat in acknowledgment.
Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, died in May at age 41 after a battle with pneumonia progressed into sepsis and further complications.
The Days of Thunder sequel, slated for a June 2028 release, will star Cruise, reprising his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle. Anne Hathaway will also join the cast, playing a team owner and engineer.
Cruise and Hathaway, 43, both announced the movie via Instagram on Saturday, posting a photo from the Daytona racetrack next to a green car with “Days of Thunder, Summer 2028” written across it.
Fans of Busch noticed that while Cruise was there to promote his movie, his patting the chair next to him served as a subtle tribute.
“I wonder if Tom knows that the original Days of Thunder was Kyle’s favorite racing movie,” one fan wrote via X. “Thanks Tom we appreciate the respect!”
“That’s respect, thank you Tom Cruise,” another added.
Busch is survived by his wife, Samantha, and their two children, Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” NASCAR said in a statement following his death. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
Samantha, 40, has been open about her grief, often sharing via social media her struggles to cope as she continues to raise Brexton and Lennix. She also spoke publicly about losing Kyle while accepting an award at the Carlos Rodón Foundation’s annual Willow Gala in New York last week.
“Losing him has been the greatest heartbreak of my life,” she said. “And if I’m being truthful, there are still so many things I don’t understand and so many times I wish God’s plan looked different than it does.”
Samantha continued, “Caring for the things that Kyle and I built together can feel incredibly heavy because he should still be here doing it beside me. But I also know that the same God who carried us through infertility is still carrying me now.”
