Explosive news from 23XI Racing, as Tyler Reddick, who has spent his entire NASCAR Cup Series career in a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, will move to the Toyota team for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
While the initial press release of the deal didn’t elaborate if it was more than a one-year deal, 23XI Racing confirmed in a media teleconference on Tuesday that their deal with Reddick is a multi-year deal.
The 26-year old Reddick is elated to join an organization that is owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
“I’m thrilled to have the chance to join this team and look forward to how I can contribute to the organization,” said Tyler Reddick. “23XI has accomplished a lot in the less than two full seasons they’ve been in the garage, and I can’t wait to be a part of that continued success. Until then, my focus remains on my current team, winning races and being competitive.”
Following the announcement, Reddick’s current team — RCR — issued a statement on Reddick’s move to 23XI Racing for 2024, and while the organization is proud of the success they’ve had with Reddick, the statement does not hide their disappointment with the news.
The statement read, “We’re proud of the success Tyler Reddick has found at Richard Childress Racing. We’re focused on winning a championship in 2022 and 2023, although timing of this announcement could not be any worse.”
— RCR (@RCRracing) July 12, 2022
Reddick, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, scored his first-career NASCAR Cup Series victory a couple of weeks ago at Road America, as he held off Chase Elliott for the victory.
For 23XI Racing co-owner Hamlin, landing a blue chip talent like Reddick is important for his team.
“Tyler is one of the most sought-after young drivers and has been competitive in everything he’s raced,” said Hamlin in a team release. “His work on the track speaks for itself and he will make a fantastic addition to our lineup in 2024. The team has seen a lot of growth since our first race and signing Tyler is a great next step for us to remain competitive for years to come.”
While making a silly season announcement over a season early seems like a strange move, 23XI Racing insists that this allows them to gauge interest in sponsorship partners for the 2024 season.
“Announcing a driver over a year before he will be racing with 23XI is a little unprecedented, but Tyler was the driver we wanted and we did not want to miss the opportunity to bring him to our team,” said 23XI Team President, Steve Lauletta. “In making the announcement now the team has ample time to prepare for 2024 on the business side as we expect interest from potential partners and continue to see strong engagement from our current partners.”
In 93-career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Reddick has recorded a total of 11 top-five finishes and 33 top-10s. In 2022, Reddick has elevated his game and has been in the conversation for the win on many occasions.
The release does not explicitly state whether Reddick will replace one of the current 23XI Racing drivers, or if the team is considering expanding to a three-car team for 2024.
Currently, 23XI Racing fields the No. 23 car driven by Bubba Wallace and the No. 45 car, which is piloted by 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.
