Getty Kyle Busch can join an elite list with RCR.
A new era begins in 2023. Kyle Busch will officially move over to Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet. He will have an opportunity to join an exclusive list.
There have been several Cup Series drivers that have controlled the No. 8 entry throughout NASCAR’s history. However, only four have reached Victory Lane. Bobby Hillin Jr. won once — 1986 at Talladega — while Tyler Reddick won three times during the 2022 season.
Two different Hall of Fame drivers achieved success in the No. 8 entry. Dale Earnhardt Jr. secured 17 of his 26 career wins in the No. 8 while Joe Weatherly captured 20 wins in the iconic number. Now Busch will try to become the fifth driver to achieve this feat.
Busch Has Previous Wins With Chevrolet
GettyKyle Busch prepares for the Coca-Cola 600.
Rowdy has spent the majority of his Cup Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, and he has captured 56 wins at the top level while driving a Toyota. This includes two finales at Homestead-Miami Speedway that secured his two championships.
Busch also has some success while driving for Chevrolet. The first four wins of his career were in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. This list includes the first of four career wins at Fontana.
Busch’s time with Hendrick Motorsports came to an end after the 2007 season. He joined JGR and immediately turned in an eight-win season while driving the No. 18 Toyota. Fast-forward to the end of the 2022 season and Busch is about to make another major change.
The veteran now returns to Chevrolet Performance older, wiser, and with 175,663 completed laps under his belt. This should only benefit him as he takes over the No. 8 for Reddick and attempts to break a tie with Richard Petty for the most consecutive seasons (18) with a win.
Busch Has Already Put in Some Work
GettyKyle Busch has taken part in some conversations focusing on the future.
Busch won’t officially move over to RCR and Chevrolet until the new year begins. He still has some obligations to fulfill with both Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota during the month of December.
That being said, the two-time Cup Series champion has already put in some work with his new. According to NASCAR Media, Busch has made some visits to the RCR shop in preparation for the 2023 season, and he has made clear his desire to continue the team’s winning tradition.
One thing Busch has already done is encourage teammate Austin Dillon to spend more time in the simulator, which should help with the on-track performance. He has also expressed interest in joining the four-time Cup Series winner for a hunting trip.
Dillon is the one that spearheaded the push to sign Busch. He called the two-time Cup Series champion and talked about the potential team options among some other topics. The conversation turned to Dillon asking Busch about coming to drive for RCR.
“I said, ‘What about coming to drive at RCR?’ He goes, ‘Heh, do you think your grandfather would want me?’” Dillon explained on September 13 after a press conference announcing Busch’s move to RCR. “And I’m like, ‘He just wants to win, man. He just wants to run good, and all that stuff in the past is history. It doesn’t matter anymore.’”
The deal ultimately came together, and now the two veteran drivers will move forward together as teammates. They will try to put both RCR cars in the playoffs for the second consecutive season, which will likely require wins.