23XI Racing announced today that Tyler Reddick will join the team in 2024. Reddick, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, is currently in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Well, that came out of left field. Just two weeks removed from his maiden win at Road America, Tyler Reddick is making a leap to the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. And the way they shared the news with the media? Perfect.
On the other hand, we have the reaction of Reddick’s current team, Richard Childress Racing:
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.
That is rough. I can’t recall a situation where the language in a NASCAR team’s press release as been so blunt. While this will impact RCR’s future, I agree with Reddick when he said that RCR should have been prepared for this. Much like Kyle Larson’s time at Chip Ganassi Racing, mid-level teams need to realize that they need to make hay while the sun is shining with their blue chip prospects because sooner or later, a Death Star-level team or manufacturer will make an offer a young driver can’t refuse.
Michael Miller 