While Tyler Reddick will take over Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8 Chevrolet next year in the Cup Series, Reddick said Friday the odds are “slim to none” that he’ll get more Cup starts this season.
Reddick, the defending Xfinity Series champion, was announced as taking over RCR’s No. 8 Chevrolet earlier this week, replacing Daniel Hemric. Reddick has made two Cup starts this year in RCR’s No. 31 Chevrolet, competing in the Daytona 500 and the spring race at Kansas Speedway, where he finished ninth.
“The year is winding down as everyone knows,” Reddick said at Dover International Speedway. “For the best effort possible on everyone’s side, whether that’s to line the partnership up or to get the cars ready and give it the best effort possible, it’d be pretty tough to do something like that this time of the year. I know obviously my focus is remaining on the (Xfinity) playoffs. If I was going to do a Cup race, my focus really wouldn’t even fully be on that as crazy as it sounds. This is the Xfinity Series and winning a second championship is even more important than a one-time Cup race.”
Reddick enters this weekend’s first Xfinity playoff elimination race all but guaranteed he’ll advance to the second round of the playoffs. He has five wins in his first season with Richard Childress Racing.