Tom Cruise delivered a touching gesture to Kyle Busch.
While the three-time Golden Globe winning actor announced the sequel of “Days of Thunder” is in the works during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, Cruise sat next to an empty chair that was meant for Busch.
Photographers at Daytona International Speedway caught Cruise patting the empty seat in what was a emotional tribute months after Busch died from pneumonia-inflicted sepsis at the age of 41.
The NASCAR legend died hours after being hospitalized following becoming unresponsive during a test in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, N.C.
His death left a gaping hole in the sport and in the Busch family.
His wife, Samantha Busch, has been open about her struggles and challenges with her two children — 11-year-old son Brexton and 4-year-old daughter Lennix — on social media throughout the last few months.
Samantha, 40, recently gave a speech at the Carlos Rodon Foundation’s Third Annual Willow Gala after receiving the Seeds of Hope Award for her support in vitro fertilization treatments.
“Losing him has been the greatest heartbreak of my life. 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,” she 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,” Samantha added.
Busch and Samantha welcomed both their children through IVF.
She added that the foundation “gives me a piece of Kyle to hold onto as I keep moving forward.”
Following the race and entertainment announcement, tributes continued to pour in for Samantha and her family.
Actress Anne Hathaway is connected to the project as she appeared with Cruise in announcements around the film.
It’s not known what her role will be but Cruise will continue as the racecar driver, Cole Trickle, in the sequel that is set for a 2028 release. The first film was released in 1990.
