Kyle Busch to race the RCR No. 8 in 2023
Kyle Busch announced Tuesday he will depart Joe Gibbs Racing and join Richard Childress Racing to race full-time for the organization in 2023.
Busch made the announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where he announced he will drive the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing entry in 2023.
“I needed a place where I go collect trophies and a place where I could reset and go be who I am, new teammates, new boss who accepts where I’ve been and where I can be. At the end of the day, one team and one owner emerged as the clear choice to compete for championships from day one – and I’ll be taking my talents to Welcome, NC, and drive the No. 8 car for Richard Childress in 2023,” Busch said.
Richard Childress joined Kyle Busch on stage and presented him with a signing bonus of a watch. Childress also presented Kyle’s son, Brexton, an option to drive for RCR someday.
Kyle Busch will replace Tyler Reddick in the No. 8 Chevrolet, as Reddick will move to a third chartered RCR entry in 2023 before he joins 23XI Racing in 2024. Richard Childress could not comment Tuesday on where the third charter will come from.
During the press conference, Busch stated he intends for Kyle Busch Motorsports continuing operations in 2023 as a Chevrolet team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion didn’t detail how many trucks KBM will field, nor did he detail the team’s drivers.
In 2023, Toyota will lose KBM’s three Truck entries that have long been a proving ground for talents such as Christopher Bell, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland as each’s first step in their journey to the NASCAR Cup Series.
Toyota will have four full-time Thorsport entries, two Hattori entries, one Halmar entry, one On-Point Motorsports entry, one Hill Motorsports entry and one G2G Racing entry, as they lose the three KBM entries.
Busch’s departure from Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing leaves the No. 18 NASCAR Cup Series Toyota open. Ty Gibbs is expected to fill that vacancy.
While driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota from 2008 to now, Kyle Busch led the field in wins (56) and top-5 finishes (204) and is only second to Jimmie Johnson in championships (2 vs. 5) and second to Kevin Harvick in top-10s (325 vs. 300).
In that 15-year timespan, Busch leads the field in poles (30) and, with eight races to go, can only be caught by Denny Hamlin (29), Kevin Harvick (26) and Joey Logano (22).
Discover more from The Racing Experts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com
One thought on “Kyle Busch to race the RCR No. 8 in 2023” Leave a comment ›