Tyler Reddick shocked the NASCAR world when he announced he had signed with 23XI Racing for 2024. Who will replace him at Richard Childress Racing?
Tyler Reddick’s NASCAR Cup Series career took a turn when he announced with 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin that he had signed to drive for the Toyota team in 2024.
Reddick had just had his option picked up by Richard Childress Racing for 2023 when this was announced, and it is likely that the team will elect to keep him in the #8 Chevrolet next year.
Reddick gave the Welcome, North Carolina-based team their first Cup Series victory since 2020 when he won at Road America, just before the 23XI Racing announcement.
To force him out over the fact he is leaving would be counterproductive, and it wouldn’t affect Reddick’s future either way. Richard Childress Racing would lose more than they would gain if they were to release him out of spite.
This makes 2024 the most likely year for which the #8 Chevrolet will have a new driver, and the team will have a plethora of names from which to choose.
Here are five possible replacements for Reddick in 2024.
Possible Tyler Reddick replacements: No. 1 – Austin Hill
Austin Hill has been able to make the most out of his opportunity with Richard Childress Racing in their Xfinity Series program. Driving the #21 Chevrolet, the 28-year-old has already scored two wins in his first full season in the series.
Keeping Hill in-house would be the best scenario for Richard Childress Racing, and an extra year driving the #21 Chevrolet while Reddick gets prepared for his ventures at 23XI Racing would allow the team to share notes from the Cup Series side to Hill, preparing him for a successful Cup Series debut.
Sponsorship could be a factor, as it is with most NASCAR drivers, but talent and availability-wise, Hill has already proven his worth to Richard Childress Racing. Letting another talented driver go to a competitor is the last thing the team needs after Reddick’s planned departure.
Possible Tyler Reddick replacements: No. 2 – Sheldon Creed
If sponsorship holds up Austin Hill from a NASCAR Cup Series promotion, Richard Childress Racing should look into signing his Xfinity Series teammate, Sheldon Creed. Creed left the Truck Series after last year to sign with Richard Childress Racing and brought Whelen on board as the primary sponsor of the #2 Chevrolet.
His first full season year in the Xfinity Series hasn’t been as impressive as that of his teammate, as Creed has no wins and fewer top five and top 10 finishes than Hill.
But with 3CHI seemingly serving as a Tyler Reddick sponsor, and not a Richard Childress Racing sponsor, the team will need to figure out what company will be on the #8 Chevrolet come 2024.
Whelen has been a strong partner in NASCAR, even serving as a title sponsor for their modified series. If Creed can continue to at least run consistently, there’s seemingly no reason for them not to continue backing the 24-year-old.
He may not be quite the candidate Hill is, but Creed isn’t a bad option. His eight wins and championship in the Truck Series show his ability, and an extra year in the Xfinity Series could be all he needs before making the leap to the Cup Series to replace Reddick in the #8 Chevrolet.
Much like signing Hill, signing Creed would be a win-win scenario. Creed would get another year to hone his craft, and the team would get a season to prepare for life without Reddick. If sponsorship or other behind-the-scenes reasons prevent Hill from taking over from Reddick in 2024, look for Creed as another potential candidate.
Possible Tyler Reddick replacements: No. 3 – Zane Smith
Zane Smith’s NASCAR Truck Series career has proven he deserves to compete in the Cup Series, but he hasn’t yet landed the right opportunity. Despite the fact that he finished in second place in the Truck Series points standings in each of the last two seasons and the fact that he leads the series in wins with three so far this year, he only has one Cup Series start.
That start came at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway when he drove the #17 Ford for RFK Racing when Chris Beuscher was out due to COVID-19 protocols.
In his Cup Series debut, Smith finished in 17th place. With limited practice and time to prepare to race against NASCAR’s best, the 23-year-old held his own.
An interest in Cup Series teams to bring Smith straight up from the Truck Series has been there before as well. Last year, Chip Ganassi Racing was set to hire Smith to replace Kurt Busch behind the wheel of the #1 Chevrolet before team owner Chip Ganassi sold the entire organization to Trackhouse Racing Team.
For Richard Childress Racing, it would be more difficult to obtain a driver who switched from Chevrolet to Ford over the offseason and is no longer part of the Driver’s Edge Development program. Additionally, funding has been key to Smith’s NASCAR career, with him stating that he doesn’t come from money in past interviews.
Regardless, despite the fact that he hasn’t yet won a championship, Smith has proven his worth in the Truck Series and would be a wise addition for Richard Childress Racing if they can make it happen. He wouldn’t have the Xfinity Series experience Reddick did when taking over behind the wheel of the #8 Chevrolet, but Smith’s raw talent has proven that it may not be necessary.
Possible Tyler Reddick replacements: No. 4 – Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman to Richard Childress Racing doesn’t sound like the most logical move at first, but the connections are there to make it a beneficial move for both parties.
Bowman’s contract with his current team, Hendrick Motorsports, runs out after the 2023 season, which is the same year Tyler Reddick’s contract with Richard Childress Racing expires.
Additionally, Bowman’s current primary sponsor, Ally, has a contract with Hendrick Motorsports that expires after the 2023 season. The sponsor seems pretty content with Bowman representing their company and heavily promotes the 29-year-old via social media and commercials they create.
It remains to be seen whether Ally wants to sign another contract with Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports, as they originally signed with the team to sponsor seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.
For Bowman, it may be time for a change of scenery. He currently ranks lowest out of all the Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the point standings, and while he may have access to the best equipment, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he is ever the top driver at the organization.
Similar situations have caused former Hendrick Motorsports drivers to look elsewhere to further their careers, with Casey Mears and Brian Vickers serving as good examples.
Teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron both signed contract extensions earlier this season, but Bowman’s future with the winningest team in Cup Series history could be uncertain.
A fresh start at a team where Bowman can find himself in a 1A-1B scenario, rather than being considered the fourth best driver on his team, could be best for his NASCAR career and give Richard Childress Racing an established driver to replace Reddick in the process.
Possible Tyler Reddick replacements: No. 5 – Ty Dillon
Ty Dillon’s relationship with Richard Childress Racing is no secret, with him being the grandson of team owner Richard Childress and the younger brother of Austin Dillon, the driver of the #3 Chevrolet.
However, outside of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Truck Series, his relationship with his grandfather’s program is limited, having only competed in seven Cup Series races for the team from in 2014 and 2015.
With Dillon’s current team, Petty GMS Motorsports, set to release the 30-year-old at the end of the 2022 season, Dillon will be looking for a new home. While he couldn’t replace Reddick until 2024, he could run full-time in the Xfinity Series first and wait in the wings for the seat of the #8 Chevrolet to open up the following year.
Without a full-time Cup Series ride, Dillon competed in races for multiple Xfinity Series teams last year. Teams for which Dillon has competed, such as Big Machine Racing, JD Motorsports, Jordan Anderson Racing, and Our Motorsports, could sign the Welcome, North Carolina native for next year as he waits to finally join forces with his grandfather in the Cup Series in 2024.
Dillon has an ongoing partnership with Black Rifle Coffee Company, and while they may be looking beyond him for their next Cup Series driver to sponsor, he could try to pitch himself as the perfect Xfinity Series candidate for their sponsorship in 2023.
Dillon has been vocal about wanting to carve his own path rather than rely on his relationship to grant him a ride in NASCAR, but all of his wins in the sport have come from runs in his grandfather’s equipment. It may be time for Dillon to join his brother, Austin, and make Richard Childress Racing the ultimate Cup Series family team in 2024.