INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JULY 31: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Peanut Butter Toyota, stands on the grid during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JULY 31: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Peanut Butter Toyota, stands on the grid during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images
#3 Richard Childress Racing #54 Joe Gibbs Racing #8 Richard Childress Racing All News Cup News Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch to Richard Childress Racing a Done Deal? UPDATES

September 12, 2022 at 5:58 PM

UPDATE: Kyle Busch has scheduled a press conference for 10:00am/et Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame where he is expected to announce 2023 plans.

The event will be livestreamed at NASCAR.com.

AND: Some of Richard Childress Racing’s sponsors have already indicated that they’re open to working with Kyle Busch, and the team also is out in the market looking for other brands to join its new project, sources said.

RCR would likely need to find at least $15M in sponsorship annually to break even on Busch between the cost it will take to run his car and pay his salary.

While the current two-car RCR has said that it is open to starting a third car to fit in Busch, it would be a financially exorbitant venture by the team to try to acquire a third charter right now with asking prices well over $20M. It could try to run one of its cars open but that is seen as financially unwise because of the way NASCAR’s charter system is structured.

A more likely scenario would be coming to an agreement with the current driver of the team’s No. 8 car, Tyler Reddick, to buy out the final year of his contract in 2023 and allow him to move elsewhere.

— Sports Business Journal —

 

ORIGINAL POST 9-10-2022: The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi is reporting that Kyle Busch had a deal to move to Richard Childress Racing next season.

Bianchi says that it’s expected Busch will drive for a third RCR team and sponsorship has not yet been finalized.

An official announcement is expected Tuesday.

Busch was asked about the rumor Saturday at Kansas:

Are you going to Richard Childress Racing next season?

“I do not have any new news to share. If I did, I guarantee there would be some sort of big announcement. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been one of those yet Bob (Pockrass, Fox Sports). We’re still working on it behind the scenes trying to put it all together. It’s not done.”

How did you even get to the moment to talk to Richard Childress about possibly driving for him after the incident here at Kansas 11 years ago?

“Who’s to say he hasn’t punched me again in any of these conversations. Whenever you go into negotiations, it’s never fun so you’re duking the whole time. I think you grow up and you work through things and you talk it over. Really it was fine the first time I sat down with him and everything was okay. The biggest thing about it was just having an opportunity to kind of put that behind us. It was no different than going on the Dale Jr. Download and talking about 2008 and crashing at Richmond, you know what I mean. You get through it and you talk about it and life moves on.”

 

For earlier reports on Kyle Busch rumors, check out the #18 Team news page.