NASCAR: Driver change revealed for #48 car at Pocono

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., not Tyler Reddick, is set to drive for Big Machine Racing in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Several NASCAR Cup Series drivers have had the chance to drive the #48 Chevrolet for Big Machine Racing during the 2022 season Xfinity Series thus far, and one of those drivers is Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick.

Reddick was set to make his sixth start of the season behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet in Saturday afternoon’s Explore The Pocono Mountains 225, a 90-lap race around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilomete) Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

He also competed in the races at Darlington Raceway, Texas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Road America, and Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this season. He scored Big Machine Racing’s first ever victory at Texas Motor Speedway in May and finished in fourth place at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this month.

However, Reddick will not drive the car at the Tricky Triangle this Saturday.

But another full-time Cup Series driver is set to replace him. JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is set to make his first Xfinity Series start since he finished in third place at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Roush Fenway Racing in November 2016.

The two-time Xfinity Series champion has competed in just two races in the series since the end of the 2012 season. He has competed full-time in the Cup Series since 2013.

Stenhouse is set to become the fourth full-time Cup Series driver to drive the #48 Chevrolet this year. In addition to Reddick, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and Petty GMS Motorsports’ Ty Dillon have each driven it in one race.

Stenhouse is set to become the sixth driver of the car this year overall, as Jade Buford has driven it in nine races and Kaz Grala has driven it in two.

As for Reddick, he is still able to make a sixth Xfinity Series start this season, despite the fact that he is a full-time Cup Series driver. He has not competed in the Cup Series for three full seasons yet, as he became a full-time driver in 2020. The five-start limit only applies to drivers with at least three years of Cup Series experience.

Reddick recently had the option in his contract picked up by Richard Childress Racing to keep him behind the wheel of the #8 Chevrolet for 2023, but he went on to sign with 23XI Racing and Toyota for 2024.

As for Stenhouse, he recently signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with JTG Daugherty Racing and Chevrolet, ending the rumor that JTG Daugherty Racing may decide to leave the Cup Series following the 2022 season.

The Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 is the 19th of 33 races on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule, and it is set to be broadcast live on USA Network beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET this Saturday July 23. If you haven’t started a free trial of FuboTV, do so now!