Kurt Busch will not compete full time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023, he announced Saturday, Oct. 15.
23XI Racing also announced that Tyler Reddick has secured his release from Richard Childress Racing and will join the team full-time next season as Busch’s replacement. Previously, Reddick had already signed a contract that would have seen him move to 23XI Racing in 2024.
Busch has been sidelined with concussion-like symptoms since a crash during qualifying at Pocono Raceway.
Ty Gibbs filled in for him in the No. 45 until the playoffs began. 23XI Racing then moved Bubba Wallace to the No. 45 to compete for the owner’s championship. Gibbs remained in the No. 23 through this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“I know I’m not 100% in my ability to go out and race at the top level in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Busch said. “These are the best of the best drivers, and lately, I haven’t felt my best.
“The doctors have come to the conclusion that it is best for me to ‘shut it down’ for this season. Even though I have made solid gains since I have been working with top specialists and the team at Toyota Performance Center, I’m still not 100% and I’m still not cleared to compete.
“As I continue to focus on my health and work towards being cleared, I will be stepping away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2023.
“My long-term health is priority number one, and I don’t feel committing at this point to compete for a championship next year is in my best interest, or the best interest of the team.”
Busch added: “if I’m cleared, maybe you’ll see me in select races.”
The Las Vegas native has run mostly full-time in Cup since 2001. He’s earned 34 wins and a championship in 2004.
Reddick moves over from Richard Childress Racing after amassing three Cup victories this season. RCR has already publicly wished him luck in his new endeavor.
— RCR (@RCRracing) October 15, 2022
For the remaining four races of the NASCAR Cup Series season, Gibbs will continue to fill in with the team in the No. 23 while Wallace will continue in the No. 45. In Busch’s place, Gibbs has one top 10 finish (10th at Michigan) to this point.
About the author
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.
A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.
Smart move, good luck Kurt. Reddick and bubba, which one will shine lololol
So the new car claims it’s first career-ending victim.
Interesting how personnel dilemmas have a uncanny ability to sort themselves out.
Don’t be so ready to come back on select races. Remember Neil Bonnett.
Bubba shouldn’t be driving any car this year. He proved he’s a racist anti asian on live tv,, he got out of his car on the track while live racing cars were driving by and then he attacked an Asian driver who didn’t even touch bubba’s car. Bubba doesn’t lift, so he drove his own car into the wall on purpose. How stupid can one person be.