Winners & Losers As Kyle Busch Free Agency Drama Finishes At RCR

Did You Notice?… The Kyle Busch free agency drama has officially ended?

As Busch himself described it, “the announcement of the announcement that’s already been made” was formalizing his decision to join Richard Childress Racing beginning with the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

For those who missed the press conference today, held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, here’s a quick summary:

• Busch will drive RCR’s No. 8, replacing Tyler Reddick in that car. Reddick will remain with RCR in 2023, fulfilling his contract in a new, third full-time team backed with a charter purchased from an organization TBA.
• Randall Burnett will remain crew chief of the No. 8 car and team up with Busch.
• Childress already has sponsorship commitments lined up for Busch, although more are being pursued. Financial terms were not disclosed, although it’s a “multi-year” deal.
• Busch’s Camping World Truck Series organization will move from Toyota to Chevrolet, with two to four entries expected. Details of the switch are still coming together.
• While Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch’s current employer, did not officially announce their plans for 2023, reports for weeks have indicated Ty Gibbs will take over the ride.

Now that the smoke is cleared from NASCAR’s Silly Season story of the decade, let’s break down how everyone made out.

WINNERS

Richard Childress. This signing is such a coup for Childress, he gets top billing before Busch himself. Just two months ago, his two-car organization was reeling from Reddick’s bombshell he’s headed elsewhere, to 23XI Racing once his contract’s up at the end of 2023.

It left Childress sitting high and dry, forced to rebuild again at age 77. Options going forward were limited, even for 2024, considering most of the sport’s top-tier contenders are signed long-term or with the top-tier Chevrolet organization, Hendrick Motorsports, that blew past Childress’ success some 25 years ago.

It’s hard to believe this six-time championship team hasn’t earned one since Dale Earnhardt in 1994. In fact, they haven’t finished better than 11th in points since Ryan Newman made a surprise Championship 4 appearance in 2014. Reddick could potentially break that drought in 2022, winning twice already, but he’s only a short-term solution.

That’s where Busch comes in. Immediately, RCR is more relevant than at any time since the days of Earnhardt and Kevin Harvick. His new signee fits the aggressive driving mold of the organization; as…