NASCAR: Tyler Reddick not leaving to replace Jimmie Johnson
By Asher Fair
Tyler Reddick has confirmed that he is slated to return to Richard Childress Racing for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, eliminating talk of him replacing Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports.
Richard Childress Racing rookie Tyler Reddick is one of many drivers who has been linked to Hendrick Motorsports to replace retiring seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson after the 2020 season.
Reddick joined Richard Childress Racing on a multi-year deal ahead of the 2020 season after winning the 2019 Xfinity Series title for the team, but there was the growing belief that he could be bought out of his contract and end up behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet.
Part of this speculation was based on the fact that he also won an Xfinity Series championship driving for Rick Hendrick co-owned JR Motorsports back in 2018.
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However, the 24-year-old Corning, California native has now confirmed that he is slated to return to Richard Childress Racing behind the wheel of the #8 Chevrolet next year.
He confirmed this news following the announcement that Joe Gibbs Racing will not re-sign Erik Jones for the 2021 season, meaning they will likely promote Christopher Bell from the Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated Leavine Family Racing to drive the #20 Toyota next year. Leavine Family Racing sold their team and won’t be back in 2020.
Jones himself has been linked to Hendrick Motorsports as of late, and those rumors will only heat up further with him now officially slated to become a free agent after the 2020 season, especially as Reddick, among others, fall out of the running.
“Well, it’s definitely always concerning regardless of age when you’re 24 years old and you’re getting replaced in the Cup Series or any kind of racing,” Reddick about Jones’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing, according to NASCAR. “But it’s part of it. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the world we live in. There’s always comers and goers, and there’s always somebody coming up through ranks that is going to have a shot in some things.
“I’m glad I know where I’m going to be next year. I’m going to be with RCR. So not necessarily allowing the pressure to come off by any means. We still want to make the playoffs. We still want to run really good this year. We want to beat Cole (Custer) and Christopher (Bell) in the Rookie of the Year battle along with John Hunter (Nemechek) and the other drivers that are competing. It’s not going to take away my aggression any, knowing that for the first time in a while, I guess, in my racing career since the (Brad Keselowski Racing) days if you will, that I’m going to be in the same place for multiple years is nice.”
Through the first 20 races of his rookie season, Reddick sits in 15th place in the point standings and 17th in the playoff picture as the highest ranking driver below the playoff bubble, as he sits just 15 points below it.
Reddick finished in a career-high second place last month in the race at Texas Motor Speedway behind teammate Austin Dillon following a late tire strategy move that netted the team their first 1-2 finish since October of 2011. Dillon had not won a race since February of 2018.