This past week has brought us a couple of NASCAR bombshells in terms of racing news, starting with Tuesday’s (July 12) news that Tyler Reddick is making the move from Richard Childress Racing to 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2024 and beyond.
The unexpected announcement — presented during a presumably run-of-the-mill press conference by Reddick’s future owner Denny Hamlin and a comical pop-up in the availability by Reddick — sent shockwaves through the silly season-verse and rumors abounded about other drivers, 23XI’s stable and more.
So, with all that chaos in our rear-view mirrors, I thought I’d take a look at some of the biggest team switches to occur since 2000 and highlight some of the most successful instances of jumping from one ship to another.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to Hendrick Motorsports for 2008
One of the biggest stories this century was the sport’s most popular driver leaving his father’s team for a Chevrolet competitor.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s departure, first announced as leaving DEI and later joining HMS in two different press conferences, rocked the NASCAR world to its core and meant Hendrick was about to land “Junebug” in addition to reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, who’d won two straight titles to that point, plus four-time champion Jeff Gordon.
Earnhardt Jr. had a pretty solid debut with HMS, all things considered: one win, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s. Gordon didn’t win, but did record double-digit top fives and 10s while Johnson won another title while racking up seven wins and 22 top 10s.
Teammate Casey Mears, who didn’t have the greatest of seasons in 2008, aside, Earnhardt Jr. stacked up pretty well to his compatriots.
Then came the next three years!
That trio of season yielded nine top fives and 25 top 10s across all three. Top fives between the seasons numbered two, three and four, respectively, while Earnhardt Jr. didn’t crack double-digit top 10s in either 2009 or 2010.
He did somewhat return to form in 2012, finally winning after a four-year victory drought and scoring 20 top 10s. He kept that pace over the next few years, winning four races in 2014 and three in 2015, but those lackluster few years made for a massive disappointment after his success at DEI and first season with HMS.
Jamie McMurray: Roush Racing to Chip Ganassi Racing for 2010
The owner of one of the most underdog wins ever, Jamie…
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