Tyler Reddick to drive for 23XI in 2023, leaving RCR early
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (BVM) – Throughout most of the spring and summer, one of the main storylines in NASCAR was where Kyle Busch would drive in 2023. That was resolved last month as Busch officially announced he would join Richard Childress Racing (RCR) to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet.
However, one of the other surprising storylines of the NASCAR season came in July, when RCR’s Tyler Reddick, the current driver of the No. 8 car, announced he would be leaving his current team to join 23XI Racing in 2024.
When Busch came over to join RCR though, speculation arose regarding Reddick’s future, and how much longer he would actually be driving for RCR. It appears racing fans now have their answer, as earlier this week, longtime NASCAR journalist Lee Spencer reported that Reddick will likely join 23XI already in 2023, with a formal announcement expected over the weekend in Las Vegas.
Hearing @TylerReddick ‘s contract has been bought out from @RCRracing and he will join @23XIRacing next year. Announcement expected this weekend at @LVMotorSpeedway #NASCAR
— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) October 11, 2022
Reddick joining 23XI in 2023 puts an end to what has been a bit of an awkward situation between he and RCR. A driver signing with another team over a year before joining them is rare, and has not happened since Clint Bowyer announced in 2015 that he would be leaving Michael Waltrip Racing for Stewart-Haas Racing by 2017.
In July, 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin officially announced Reddick would be joining the team in 2024. However, the timing of the announcement was not well received by RCR.
— RCR (@RCRracing) July 12, 2022
Reddick had a response to his team, expressing that it is easier to make the announcement sooner rather than later, so both sides can start planning for the future.
“It’s always a difficult thing when … our relationship is going to come to an end,” Reddick said via NBC Sports. “But I feel like it gives everyone time, what lies ahead, what’s the next step, where do we go from here?
“For me, in my opinion, it’s better to do it now than the playoffs. There’s no reason to kick the can down the road. We know what lies ahead. We now all know what is in front of us and what we need to do.”
Reddick’s announcement surprised many around NASCAR, including his own boss in Richard Childress. The 26-year-old is one of the sport’s young, up-and-coming drivers, who won back-to-back Xfinity Series championships in 2018 and 2019.
Reddick made his debut in the Cup Series in 2019, and officially began driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for RCR in 2020. Each season, Reddick has gotten better, finishing 19th in the points standings in 2020, and 13th in 2021.
This season, the driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet picked up his first Cup Series victory at Road America, earning two additional victories at the Indianapolis Road Course in July and at Texas Motor Speedway in late September. Despite already being eliminated from playoff contention, Reddick continues to drive well, most recently finishing eighth at the Charlotte Road Course last Sunday.
Perhaps Reddick’s planned departure fueled Childress to pursue one of NASCAR’s all-time greats in Busch even harder. Despite rumors Busch could land with Kaulig Racing among other teams, the driver officially announced he would join RCR in September.
“I’m excited to announce that I’ll be taking my talents to Welcome, North Carolina to drive the No. 8 car for Richard Childress Racing starting in 2023,” Busch said during an announcement on Sept. 13.
While many expected a potential release or buyout of Reddick already at that time, at the same press conference, Childress made it clear that the team planned to keep Reddick on board for the 2023 season while attempting to obtain a third charter for him. Yet, no concrete plans were made when it came to this, raising questions about if Reddick would actually still race for RCR next season.
Richard Childress says Richard Childress Racing will consist of three charter Cup Series teams in 2023 and that Tyler Reddick will drive one of those cars.
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) September 13, 2022
Now, it appears his time is indeed done with RCR, as Reddick will move on to his new team a year earlier than expected. For RCR, it leaves them with a tandem of Austin Dillon in the No. 3 and Busch in the No. 8. But the real intrigue comes with what will happen in 2023 for 23XI.
The wild card remains the status of Kurt Busch, who has been out since mid July after suffering a concussion when crashing during qualifying at Pocono.
https://t.co/Lt5hg7Lyzg pic.twitter.com/aa7xy2dVoh
— Kurt Busch (@KurtBusch) August 25, 2022
Kurt is one of two drivers for the Michael Jordan and Hamiln-owned team, joining Bubba Wallace. Ty Gibbs, the son of Joe Gibbs and Kyle’s likely replacement for Joe Gibbs Racing, has been filling in for Kurt with 23XI since his injury.
Kurt is under contract with 23XI through 2023 with an option in his contract for 2024. But if he retires, it’s quite likely Reddick will take over the No. 45 Toyota. If not, 23XI will be in a similar situation to RCR in which they will need to look to acquire a third charter for next season. Back in July, Hamlin mentioned the team wasn’t necessarily planning for three cars even by 2024, but that anything could happen.
“All we know is we wanted him,” Hamlin said via NBC Sports. “We made sure we planted our feet deep in the ground to make sure Tyler had the opportunity with this race team, and we made it happen.”
It’s possible the answers to these questions will be revealed over the next couple of days, or maybe it will take a few weeks as the 2022 season winds down. Whatever the case, it seems both parties are now in a better spot.
RCR has one of NASCAR’s winningest drivers on its side, while 23XI is bringing in one of the sport’s brightest young stars even earlier than expected. For a 23XI race team that’s only been around for a couple of years, Reddick may just be what they need to break through.
