Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric officially got the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) preseason underway Monday with a two-day Goodyear Tire test at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Reddick and Cindric also got a step on the competition for Texas fashion when they return for the March 26 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.
The opening day of the Goodyear Tire test was highlighted by the fresh looks of Busch and Reddick, who open this season with new teams, car numbers and engine manufacturers, as well as Cindric looking to build off last season’s rookie-of-the-year campaign with Team Penske.
Busch was behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) after spending 15 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing driving the No. 18 Toyota. Ironically, it was the No. 8 RCR entry that Reddick departed after three seasons to settle in the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD with 23XI Racing.
Following Monday’s first day of the test, Reddick and Cindric were hosted by NASCAR at COTA Executive Director Bryan Hammond at downtown Austin’s Maufrais specialty shop to select and customize their own cowboy hats. Reddick chose a natural-colored Stetson 20x Beaver fur felt with a classic pinch front and a hair-on-hide band with silver pheasant and partridge feathers. Cindric went with a Dunn-colored Stetson 40x Beaver fur felt hat shaped with a pinched front. He customized it with a Western-style hitched horse band with a Reeves pheasant feather and had it torched to give it a worn-in look. Both also got their initials on the underside of their hats.
The trio returned to the track Tuesday to complete the second and final day of the tire test on the 20-turn, 3.41-mile permanent road course. The second-day session is closed to both the public and media.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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