Kyle Busch joins Richard Childress Racing for 2023

In 2011, Richard Childress punched Kyle Busch and pit him in a headlock following a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas. Over a decade later, incidentally two days after the Cup Series event there, the two will join forces.

In one of—if not the biggest free agency signings in Cup Series history, Busch will depart Joe Gibbs Racing for Richard Childress Racing beginning with the 2023 Cup season. He will drive the #8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, marking a return to the manufacturer with whom he began his Cup career in 2004.

“The addition of Kyle Busch to the Richard Childress Racing lineup is significant, not only for our organisation, but for the sport as a whole,” stated team owner Richard Childress. “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?”

Busch entered the Cup Series in a Chevrolet with Hendrick Motorsports and spent five years there before joining Joe Gibbs Racing. Over the next fifteen seasons, he turned the JGR #18 M&M’s Toyota Camry into a household face with fifty-six wins and two championships.

However, M&M’s will end its longstanding sponsorship after 2022 at the same time that Busch’s contract with JGR expires. Unable to find sufficient sponsorship or agree to new terms, Busch was courted by teams like RCR and Kaulig Racing before making it official on Tuesday.

“Kyle has been a major part of our history and success here at Joe Gibbs Racing,” said JGR owner Joe Gibbs. “We are thankful for all his contributions to our organisation over the years. When you look at all that he has accomplished already, it is truly remarkable, and we know someday we will be celebrating his Hall of Fame induction. We also know he still has many more achievements in our sport ahead of him including competing for the championship this season. We wish Kyle, Samantha, Brexton, and Lennix the very best.”

His seven-year-old son Brexton, who races on dirt, has also joined the RCR organisation in the event that he continues his driving up the ranks.

The manufacturer switch will also apply to Busch’s Truck Series team Kyle Busch Motorsports, which had exclusively fielded Toyotas since their formation in 2010. Consequently, JGR loses their Truck pipeline though other Toyota outfits include Hattori Racing Enterprises and ThorSport Racing.

“Toyota and TRD are privileged to have raced with Kyle Busch, one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history,” offered Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson. “While we certainly wish Kyle the best of luck in the future and congratulate him on his announcement to join Richard Childress Racing, we’re disappointed and saddened that his future won’t continue to be with Team Toyota. Kyle has been an ambassador for Toyota since joining the programme in 2008. He’s gone on to accumulate some of the most prestigious milestones possible for the Toyota brand, including our first Cup Series win for the Camry and first Cup Series championship. He will undoubtedly hold the record for the most wins in a Toyota across all three championship series for decades to come.

“But more than that, Kyle has been a friend, part of our family and has played a key role in the development of many of our drivers through his ownership of Kyle Busch Motorsports. We wish nothing but the best for Kyle and his entire family as he moves into the next chapter of his Hall of Fame career. We’re thankful to have been along for the ride.”

As a Chevrolet driver, Busch has twenty-one wins across the three NASCAR national series.

“We’d like to welcome Kyle back to Team Chevy, where he started his NASCAR career,” added Chevrolet racing vice president Jim Campbell. “As a sixty Cup race winner and two-time champion, he will be a valuable addition to Richard Childress Racing and the Chevrolet line-up. We look forward to working with Kyle starting in 2023.”

While Tyler Reddick remains contracted for 2023 before ironically joining Toyota in 2024, RCR intends to keep him in a newly opened third car.