Kyle Busch Coming To RCR May Make Things Awkward For Tyler Reddick

The big news dominating NASCAR this past week was the announcement that Kyle Busch is moving over to Richard Childress Racing in the 2023 season. While it was welcomed news to some, it may make for an awkward season for fellow NASCAR driver, Tyler Reddick. 

In July, Reddick announced his plans to move on from RCR after his contract is up following the 2023 Cup Series season. He’ll be taking his talents over to 23XI Racing, co-owned by fellow driver Denny Hamlin. At the time, Reddick noted that closing out his time with RCR was important to him. However, now that Kyle Busch is coming in to basically take over his position as one of their premiere drivers, 2023 may look a little too different. 

Despite earning two NASCAR Cup Series wins this year, the team will simply have to bump him down to a lower tier within the organization in the 2023 season given that he’ll technically be a competitor in 2024. 

Fortunately, he seems to understand the situation and has mentally prepared for it. 

RELATED: Joey Logano Shares Insight Into Kyle Busch's Transition To RCR: 'It's A Weird Environment'

“None of it surprised me honestly,” Reddick explained over the weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. “I’m going to be moving on in 2024 to a new group of people and new team. It’s a unique challenge to be able to kind of go through that next year with a new group of people.”

Always one to look on the bright side, Reddick noted that working with new people within RCR, even if it’s a status downgrade, will prepare him to meet and work with all new faces when he moves over to 23XI Racing in 2024. 

While he certainly seems to be expecting a different kind of season from his last with RCR, Reddick admitted that he isn’t actually sure what it will look like yet. He has yet to break down what 2023 will look like with the man himself, Richard Childress. 

“We’ve talked about that stuff. We’ve discussed, like OK, what’s going to happen?” Reddick said. “He said he’s going to have details for me soon. When? I don’t know. Maybe after the race because he said he wanted to discuss that here at Bristol, but we both agreed it’s most important for me to focus on this race and talk about it after.”

Although the next season might not be the most socially comfortable for Reddick, there’s certainly no hard feelings when it comes to Busch taking over his spot within RCR. Being a professional, Reddick explained to reporters that he’s seeing it as the business decision that it is. 

“I’m sure I could understand how people could think it is personal, but I’m not looking at it that way,” he explained. “There were enough rumors about it, right? I kind of had an idea he was coming. For the long term of RCR, it makes sense to put him in the 8 car.”

Can't get enough NASCAR action? Watch “Race For The Championship,” which follows the lives of NASCAR's biggest stars on and off the track, Thursdays at 10/9c on USA Network. And catch up on all race action on Peacock.