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| Denny Hamlin (L) and Tyler Reddick (R) will join forces in 2023 (Forbes.com) |
After what has been a somewhat tame "Silly Season", 23XI Racing and Tyler Reddick set the NASCAR garage on it's ear by announcing that the two-time Xfinity Series champion would leave Richard Childress Racing to join the team owned by 48-time Cup Series winner Denny Hamlin and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan for the 2024 season.
The announcement was made during a Toyota Racing video conference. As Hamlin was giving an update on his 2022 season, Reddick entered the call on a separate screen, then walked into the room and sat next to Hamlin.
Describing Reddick as a "franchise driver," Hamlin said very little is certain about Reddick's deal with his team right now, but that the biggest piece of that puzzle is now in place.
"Honestly, there are no hidden secrets here. We do not know who the sponsor will be. We do not know what car it is," said Hamlin. "All we know is we wanted him and we made sure we planted our feet deep in the ground to make sure Tyler had an opportunity with this race team, and we made it happen."
Hamlin has often spoken about 23XI's five-year plan to become a championship contending organization. In a call-in appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio following his team's bombshell announcement, Hamlin called Reddick a "generational talent" and that bringing him on board in their team's fourth season will enable them to take that next step.
"Generational talents don't come around that often. But when they do, you need to put your best foot forward to lock it up," said the three-time Daytona 500 winner.
Reddick has spent his entire, three-year Cup Series career with RCR. After winning two races and his first Xfinity title with JR Motorsports in 2018, Reddick moved to Childress' team the following season for a clearer path to Cup. He would score six more wins and another title in 2019 before being promoted to the sport's top level.
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| Reddick just scored his first Cup win two weeks ago (Google Images) |
However, Reddick admitted to always wanting to look ahead to what his long-term future could be. This deal had reportedly been in the works for about a year and, based on how both parties navigated his '23 option, this move shouldn't be a "major shock" to RCR.
"It’s always a difficult thing whenever two partners or two pieces or our relationship is going to come to an end," Reddick said during the announcement. "But I feel like it gives everyone time to figure out what lies ahead. What is the next step? Where do we go from here?
"So, for me and in my opinion, I feel like it’s better to do it now than in the playoffs.... There’s no there’s no reason to kick the can down the road. We know what lies ahead, and we now all know what’s in front of us and what we need to do."
Looking forward, Reddick expressed his excitement for what lies ahead of him for the '24 campaign.
“The team is very young, but it’s been going in a very positive direction from day one. It’s been obvious. I’m just really excited to get it out there and it’s in front of everyone. 23XI can go to work, myself and RCR can go back to work and continue to be as competitive as possible. But also, I know the future is set in stone and what lays ahead.”
While Reddick is making the move that he feels is best for his career, RCR did appear to be a bit taken aback by their driver's announcement. The team posted a response to the 23XI announcement on Twitter which read:
— RCR (@RCRracing) July 12, 2022
Clearly, there is a bit of resentment at Childress' Welcome, N.C. facility. Regardless of whether the team was shocked or not, this news will clearly make the next season and a half incredibly interesting, and more than a bit awkward for the team and their soon to be ex-driver. After making the playoffs each of the last two seasons, it will be a challenge for them to overcome the biggest lame duck scenario a team has faced in recent memory.
While rumors will now begin to swirl about how his team will be structured a season from now, Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing, said they still needs to determine what car Reddick will drive in 2024. Hamlin said the team will seek sponsorship for Reddick, and that announcing his addition now will give them a big leg up on those recruiting efforts. He did say that both of the team's current wheelmen, Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace, will remain in their stable for '23.
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