Kyle Busch Driving No. 8 For RCR In 2023

Kyle Busch officially announced Sept. 13 he will join Richard Childress Racing for NASCAR Cup Series competition in a multi-year agreement starting in 2023.

The 37-year-old will switch from the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota he has driven since 2008 to the No. 8 Chevrolet, a team entry currently fielded by RCR and driven by Tyler Reddick.

“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,” Busch said in a release. “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.”

According to the release, Reddick remains under contract with RCR for 2023 and will compete for the team in some capacity. Team owner Richard Childress stated the team plans on acquiring a third charter for Reddick but has not specified from what team.

“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,” Childress said. “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?”

The announcement comes after months of speculation regarding where the two-time Cup champion would go for his future after contract negotiations stalled with JGR.

The status of Busch’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, is not currently known. Busch has said he has nothing to announce as of yet but does plan on switching the team’s manufacturer from Toyota to Chevrolet.

During a press conference announcing the move, team owner Childress also offered a future contract to Busch’s son, Brexton.

After what has been a rough first couple of playoff weeks, Busch sits 13th in the postseason Cup standings only two points below the cut line with one more race at Bristol Motor Speedway left before the first-round elimination.