Tom Cruise surprises Legend Jeff Gordon at Banquet

Upon the introduction of who was about to come to the stage to speak and introduce the recent retiree,  Jeff Gordon was brought to tears.  This was obviously a surprise to him, and what appeared to be most of the crowd on hand as well. 

Transcript from the introduction: 

Tom Cruise:

"How you doing, man. Hey, Jeff, how's it going, man? Hi, guys. Good evening. So, look, I'm honored to present a legend, one who has meant so much to the sport over the last two decades and will continue to do so even outside of a race car. Now, I remember seeing the photo. His back to the camera, his team's eyes were glued to him and they were learning then what the rest of us would soon know, this was it. And 2015 would be the end. We are happy for him but sad to see him go. When you're treated to excellence every week for 23 years, well, that's not something that you let go of easily, and when news leaked out, well, there was a reaction from everywhere. But with a beautiful wife waiting and two adorable children and a back that's howling, everyone knew the word would come eventually. 

In a statement to the world, Brian France called him transcendent, and that set the foundation for his farewell, a victory lap that played out on stages throughout the world. Daytona International Speedway. 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rwanda, the Waldorf Astoria, the White House and now the Wynn. He felt as comfortable discussing a championship with George Bush as breaking down Homestead with Kyle Busch, at ease discussing SNL skits with Jimmy Fallon as racing door to door with Jimmie Johnson. And with that he brought joy to millions, used his immense and deserved popularity for the betterment of the world both at home and abroad, transcendence. Few reach it, he did. And although many of us want to say we'll miss you, what we really mean is we thank you.

[Video plays]

It's now my pleasure to welcome my friend, the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, the legend, Jeff Gordon. 

[Applause] 

Jeff piloted the No. 24 Chevrolet to 93 career victories, third most on NASCAR's all-time list. Now to present a very special award to Jeff, please welcome NASCAR chairman and ceo, Brian France"