Kyle Busch is set to make a big announcement on Tuesday, according to a report.
Busch’s long-term contract with Joe Gibbs Racing is expiring after this season, which has led to a year of questions and rumors about the 37-year-old’s future.
Now we know what is coming.
The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi reported over the weekend that Busch is signing with Richard Childress Racing. An announcement about the deal is expected to be made on Tuesday.
According to a report from FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, RCR began alerting sponsors on Friday about Busch’s impending move.
A potential departure from JGR has seemed to be possible all season long.
JGR knew as of last year that Mars, which has sponsored the No. 18 Toyota, would not return. The racing company’s inability to secure a sponsor for the No. 18 for 2023 complicated their ability to reach terms with Busch. Additionally, JGR has been grooming Gibbs’ grandson, Ty, to make the jump to the Cup Series. Ty has won nine races for JGR on the Xfinity Series and is a natural to take over the No. 18 car.
There are questions about how Busch will fit in with RCR.
RCR currently fields two cars full-time in the Cup Series, and a third car on a part-time basis. Austin Dillon will remain the driver of the No. 3 car. Pockrass reports that Busch will likely take over the No. 8 car, which has been driven by Tyler Reddick since 2020. Reddick is heading to 23XI Racing for 2024, so RCR will likely cut ties with him early to make room for Busch.
There is another big implication to the move.
Not only will “The Candy Man” need a new sponsor, but his truck teams will have to move from Toyotas to Chevrolet.
Over the weekend, Busch would not confirm any news about a potential move to RCR. But both he and Childress have said they put their infamous 2011 altercation at Kansas Speedway behind them.
A watch company would be the perfect sponsor for the No. 8 car. Just saying.
Over his career, Busch has 60 Cup Series wins. His 102 Xfinity Series and 62 Truck Series wins are both the most ever. Busch won the Cup Series in 2015 and 2019, and plans to continue racing for another 10 years.
