The rumors were confirmed Tuesday as Kyle Busch formally announced he will be joining Richard Childress Racing starting in 2023.
Busch was joined by team owner Richard Childress at NASCAR’s Hall of Fame to make the announcement.
“RCR has an impressive history in NASCAR, and I’m honored that Richard is putting his trust in me to come in and continue to build on that legacy,” said Busch. “Growing up in a family of passionate racers myself, I feel like the culture that the Childress family has built within their organization will be an ideal fit for me. As I begin the next chapter of my career, I’m looking forward to driving for RCR and working with everyone there to add more wins and championships to both of our resumes.”
Busch has a Hall of Fame career in NASCAR stretching back 18 years ago when he made his debut with Hendrick Motorsports, then moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008.
He has 60 wins in the elite NASCAR Cup Series and is the only active multi-time champion. He is currently competing for his third Cup Series championship in the NASCAR Playoffs. In addition to his two Cup Series championships, the Las Vegas native won the 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and is the all-time wins leader in that series (102) as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (62). As an owner, he has led Kyle Busch Motorsports to 98 career victories and seven owner’s championships, both are Truck Series records.
From a one-man team in 1969, Childress has grown RCR into one of the most storied organizations in NASCAR, with more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018).
“The addition of Kyle Busch to the Richard Childress Racing lineup is significant, not only for our organization, but for the sport as a whole,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Kyle is a proven contender at the highest levels of the sport, and I believe that his experience and dedication to motorsports will elevate our race program across the board. I’ve always admired Kyle’s driving style and his ability to win and race for championships ever since he entered the sport. Who wouldn’t want a proven NASCAR Cup Series Champion driving their car?”
Busch will drive the No. 8 Chevy currently raced by Tyler Reddick. Earlier this summer Reddick surprised Childress when he announced he would be leaving RCR at the end of 2023 to move to 23XI Racing which fields Toyota’s. Childress said Tuesday that Reddick was told just prior to the announcement that he will still be racing for the team in 2023.
A note from Coach Gibbs on the recent @KyleBusch news. pic.twitter.com/y7yWRq2jGR
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) September 13, 2022
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.