Tyler Reddick’s NASCAR future has been a topic of conversation ever since Kyle Busch announced that he would drive the No. 8 car for Richard Childress Racing with Randall Burnett as his crew chief starting in 2023.
However, the future appears to be less murky as an announcement about Reddick’s plans is expected at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Tyler Reddick appears set to join 23XI Racing one year early
Reddick’s contract has reportedly been bought out by 23XI Racing and an announcement of him running for the organization next season is expected this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, according to RacinBoys’ Lee Spencer.
The 26-year-old driver was eliminated in the Round of 16 but has three victories, second-most overall, during the 2022 season. This would mark his third and final full-time Cup Series season with Richard Childress Racing.
Team owner Richard Childress previously stated that Reddick would be in a third car for the organization to fulfill his contract; however, it never made sense for them as it would elevate costs for a driver on the way out in 2024.
While it would be the correct outcome for both sides to split up after the 2022 season, Reddick has put forth the most successful season for a Richard Childress Racing driver since Kevin Harvick’s final year in 2013.
It is disappointing for Richard Childress Racing to lose a future star but replacing him with a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion should soften the blow. Plus, it allows 23XI Racing to grab its cornerstone driver a year early.
Due to Reddick being expected to move over to 23XI Racing for the 2023 season, it creates even more questions for the organization that were not publicly present last week.
Related: NASCAR insider says Tyler Reddick “likely” to join a different team for 2023
What this means for Kurt Busch’s future in NASCAR
Kurt Busch has missed the last 12 races due to concussion-like symptoms coming from his qualifying wreck at Pocono Raceway. Ty Gibbs has replaced him in the vehicle for every single event.
With Reddick likely moving to 23XI Racing next season, it creates the question of what will happen to Busch. There has been no word on whether Reddick would pilot the No. 45 car or if he would drive a third entry.
Busch has a press conference set for 11:00 AM ET on Saturday, October 15 with NASCAR in his hometown of Las Vegas, NV. Perhaps, Saturday could be the conclusion of the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s career.
It makes sense that Reddick’s announcement of joining 23XI Racing will happen at the same time or close to it. 23XI Racing’s President Steve Lauletta has stated the organization planned to be a two-car team in 2023 but it could have changed.
The Las Vegas native won a Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway earlier in the season which marked 23XI Racing’s first victory on a non-superspeedway track. Bubba Wallace won the organization’s first race at Talladega Superspeedway last year.
If Reddick’s contract was not bought out and Busch retired from full-time competition, Toyota Racing’s John Hunter Nemechek would have likely been the driver to replace him. However, that is mostly irrelevant now.
It is clear that Busch can still win at NASCAR’s top level but his health should be the number one priority when making a decision about his future in the sport. Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be a good example due to his concussions.
No matter what comes from Busch’s press conference on Saturday morning, it does not change the Hall-of-Fame career that might have been cut short due to an unfortunate injury.