Actor Tom Cruise paid tribute to late NASCAR driver Kyle Busch by patting an empty chair reserved for him at a driver meeting at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.
Cruise attended the pre-race meeting ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series event to announce that a sequel to his 1990 stock car racing movie Days of Thunder is in development for a 2028 release.
Upon taking his seat, Cruise noticed an empty chair placed next to him to honor Busch. Photographers captured the actor touching the seat in a solemn gesture following Busch's death in May from pneumonia-inflicted sepsis at the age of 41.
Busch's sudden passing sent shockwaves through the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) community, leaving a severe vacuum in the sport and within his family.
Samantha Busch Honors Late Husband at New York Gala
Last week, Busch's widow, 40-year-old Samantha Busch, delivered a speech at the Carlos Rodon Foundation's Third Annual Willow Gala in New York City. The event was hosted by New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon and his wife Ashley to support couples struggling with infertility.
Samantha received the Seeds of Hope Award at the gala for her work supporting in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, according to People. During an emotional address, she paid tribute to her late husband, with whom she had welcomed two children through IVF.
Samantha called his death "the greatest heartbreak of my life."
"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 said.
"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," she added.
Following Busch's death, tributes flooded in at the next race, where Samantha, their children, and Kyle's brother, fellow NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, participated in a memorial ceremony. Racing events across the country have continued to honor the driver, who was known to fans as Rowdy.
Days of Thunder Sequel Confirmed for 2028 Release
Cruise's appearance at Daytona confirmed that he will reprise his role as hotshot driver Cole Trickle in the upcoming Days of Thunder sequel. The original film, released in 1990, followed Trickle's journey through high-stakes stock car racing.
Actress Anne Hathaway is also linked to the project after appearing alongside Cruise in a promotional image used for the announcement. Her specific role in the sequel remains unclear as the project has just entered development.
