Published 01/22/2023, 4:25 AM EST
For Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing, 2023 is expected to be an inflection point. With two full seasons in the bank, and major changes in the drivers’ line-up, performances in 2023 could decide what direction the team takes in NASCAR.
The driving line-up for 23XI has a couple of shake-ups this season. With Kurt Busch, unfortunately, sidelined for the foreseeable future, the team brought in Tyler Reddick. The former Richard Childress Racing driver proved his mettle in the Xfinity Series with consecutive title wins (2018 and 2019).
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Filling a Busch-shaped hole at 23XI Racing
But in his three full seasons in the Cup Series, the driver is yet to emulate the same performances. Presumably, that’s the reason why his best memories in racing are also from the second-tier competition.
In a video released by Charlotte Hornets, Reddick and Kelly Oubre Jr talk about their careers. When asked, “Best sports memory?” Reddick narrated an incident.
“Second Xfinity Championship that I won. Me and my girlfriend, Alexa, had a kid on the way. For me, that race was really big. If I won that Championship… we made a bet that if I won the Championship, I get to name my son Beau, but if I lost she’d have whatever name that she wanted. And she had some names that I didn’t really like.”
“So, win that second consecutive Championship with that second team the following year was a pretty big deal for me,” he told the Hornets’ man.
Reddick is still a young driver. He will now be under the tutelage of seasoned greats like Kurt Busch and Hamlin. Hopefully, he will have new best memories to share.
How NASCAR facilitated Reddick’s early move
Reddick had done well in the Xfinity Series and was among the most sought-after talents for many teams. Jordan and Hamlin got to him the quickest, tying him down to a deal starting in 2024.
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 17: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage with his son, Beau during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 17, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
But as NASCAR has always shown—plans rarely, if ever, go to plan. The now-infamous, crash that Busch was in at Pocono ended up changing a lot of things. On one hand, Busch was sidelined from racing due to his injuries.
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But on the other hand, 23XI was put in a serious conundrum. They had Busch contracted until the end of 2023. Who would replace him?
Things however ended up falling in places for a lot of people. 23XI bought out Reddick’s remaining year (i.e. 2023), which cleared a seat for Kyle Busch to come in and take, at RCR.
Unfortunately, it was the older Busch who was handed the short end of the stick. He still remains sidelined, as he revealed the recently held Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
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Fans would love nothing more than to see Kurt Busch race again. Whether that’s possible or not, only time can tell. Hopefully, the legend gets his last chance.