Tyler Reddick not surprised about RCR's decision to put Kyle Busch in the No. 8 car
BRISTOL, Tenn. — A lot has changed for Tyler Reddick in the last few months.
On July 12 it was announced that Reddick would depart Richard Childress Racing when his contract expires at the end of the 2023 season to join 23XI Racing.
Then, earlier this week, it was announced by Richard Childress Racing that Kyle Busch would join the team in 2023 to pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet — currently wheeled by Reddick.
That leaves Reddick, who has earned his first two NASCAR Cup Series victories this year, in the unique position of not knowing exactly what his 2023 season will look like. Right now, all he knows is that he‘ll presumably be back at Richard Childress Racing as part of a new, third charter team.
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“None of it surprised me honestly,” Reddick admitted Friday afternoon prior to practice and qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway. “I‘m going to be moving on in 2024 to a new group of people and new team. It‘s a unique challenge to be able to kind of go through that next year with a new group of people.
“If anything, I think it‘ll help me when I move on to the next place (23XI Racing), kind of getting used to moving with different people and going through that process.”
As of Friday afternoon, Reddick said that team owner Richard Childress had not given him any details regarding what his program in 2023 would look like.
“We‘ve talked about that stuff. We‘ve discussed, like OK, what‘s going to happen?” Reddick said. “He said he‘s going to have details for me soon. When? I don‘t know. Maybe after the race because he said he wanted to discuss that here at Bristol, but we both agreed it‘s most important for me to focus on this race and talk about it after.”
As far as Reddick is concerned, his move to 23XI Racing and Richard Childress Racing signing Busch are strictly business decisions done in the best interest of both parties. He says he holds no ill will towards Childress for putting Busch in the No. 8 next season.
“I looked at it from the business point of view and I feel like they are approaching with Kyle coming in and being with the 8 team, they‘re looking ahead to the future and what‘s going to be best in the long term,” Reddick said. “I‘m sure I could understand how people could think it is personal, but I‘m not looking at it that way.
“There were enough rumors about it, right? I kind of had an idea he was coming. For the long term of RCR, it makes sense to put him in the 8 car.”
Reddick enters Saturday‘s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings, two points above the cutoff line to make the Round of 8 as he pursues his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
