Skip to content
Richard Childress Racing has undergone significant changes over the past year, but it has been positive overall. Former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch has joined the organization to drive the #8 car from 2023.
Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick left Richard Childress Racing for 23XI Racing after Busch replaced him in the entry. Since then there have been ups and downs as the driver of the #8 car has three wins and a series best average position while Austin Dillon sits 29th in the points standings.
Dillon has just four top-10 finishes and was slammed with a big penalty at the NASCAR R&D Center; however, this is not about overall performance as Richard Childress Racing has been linked to a major driver outside of the United States of America.
Related: Major Details About Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch Pursuit Revealed
Table of Contents
Richard Childress Racing linked to this popular driver for a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2023
Richard Childress Racing was once a three to four car operation. They had a lineup of three full-time drivers while a fourth part-time car was used to field drivers in some races. This ended in 2017 after Paul Menard left the NASCAR team.
The organization was reduced to two full-time riders with Dillon and Ryan Newman for the 2018 season before there was another change. Newman drove off with Busch, Reddick and Tyler Reddick taking turns in the #8 car.
Since the downsizing of Richard Childress Racing after the 2017 season, a part-time entry has only been driven a total of five times. The latest was Austin Hill in the #33 car at Michigan International Speedway in August 2022, but it looks like another race could be on the way soon.
Auto Action’s Andrew Clarke has revealed the news that another Supercar driver, from the same series as Chicago Street Course winner Shane van Gisbergen, will be joining the NASCAR Cup Series for his debut. Who is this driver and what did Clarke have to say?
“Get ready, America. Another Australian Supercar driver is on his way to teach your NASCAR drivers how to do it. Brodie Kostecki looks certain to drive a Chevrolet during the combined NASCAR and IndyCar weekend at the Indianapolis road course on August 13.
Andrew Clarke reveals new driver who could race for Richard Childress Racing
Gisbergen pulled off the impossible at the Chicago Street Course by winning his Cup Series debut and Brodie Kostecki looks like the next man. Kostecki, 25, is a Supercars championship contender as he sits higher in the points standings than Gisbergen.
The 25-year-old driver was not mentioned as a driver hired to any specific NASCAR team; however, he has been tied to Richard Childress Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing for a possible NASCAR Xfinity Series event.
Kostecki’s team, Erebus Motorsport, has a close relationship with Richard Childress Racing. In fact, Kostecki was present at World Wide Technology Raceway as a guest of the NASCAR team when Busch won his third race of the 2023 season.
One might suggest Trackhouse Racing as an option, but the organization has no more races scheduled with the No. 91 car for the remainder of the 2023 season, according to team owner Justin Marks after the Chicago Street Course. This is important as Kostecki’s deal was thought to have been done before Gisbergen’s win.
Unless it’s a completely out of the blue team, it looks like Richard Childress Racing could be the organization Kostecki makes his Cup Series debut with at Indianapolis Road Course next month.
If the NASCAR organization is seriously considering fielding a third car, who else might be suitable? Read on to discover three ideal drivers to race the #33 car for a race or two in 2023 or beyond!
Related: Richard Childress Racing Discusses Kyle Busch’s #8 Car Name Change
3 ideal drivers for Richard Childress Racing if they want to run more races with a third car
Richard Childress Racing hasn’t run a third car very often in the last five years; however, that doesn’t mean the NASCAR team is completely against the idea. So who would be in the best position to run the #33 car for a race or two?
Austin Hill is one of the ideal candidates if Richard Childress Racing is looking to go in-house for a potential debut. Hill, 29, runs a partial schedule with Beard Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series while being a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver with Richard Childress Racing.
The 29-year-old has three wins and sits second in the points standings going into the 2023 season. Hill’s performances indicate he is closing in on a potential move to the Cup Series and the organization could help him to give him more experience in quality equipment.
Sheldon Creed is another internal name that would make sense for Richard Childress Racing’s long-term goals. Creed, 25, currently drives the No. 2 car in the organization’s Xfinity Series program alongside Hill.
The 25-year-old didn’t win in the Xfinity Series but showed slight improvement during his rookie season. Creed is still a long way from making the jump to the Cup Series, but if the NASCAR team is serious about his future, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him start here or there.
Lewis Hamilton is a big idea out of the box, but the Formula 1 champion has expressed interest in trying NASCAR in the future. Hamilton, 38, would not try NASCAR until his Formula 1 days were over, giving Richard Childress Racing time to prepare a pursuit.
The 38-year-old pilot would be a huge boon to the organization as there would certainly be other elements interested in his services. Hamilton is the most unlikely driver on the list, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible down the line.
Richard Childress Racing doesn’t use as many third cars as 23XI Racing or Trackhouse Racing; however, this can change very quickly. If all is true about Kostecki’s Cup Series debut, the NASCAR team could be gearing up for its third entry to debut in the 2023 season.
Related: How to watch the Verizon 200 at The Brickyard