Richard Childress Racing has decided to put aside the No. 8 and will be switching effective immediately to the No. 33 for Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond.
RCR announced on Friday, May 22 that Kyle Busch, who died Thursday at 41 years old, is the last driver to race that car number, until his son Brexton is ready to move up to the NASCARCup Series.
Advertisement
It was always Kyle Busch’s plan to guide his son to NASCAR, and the highest heights of the sport. Brexton already has an impressive record for an 11 year old racer. Richard Childress Racing is saying they will be there waiting and ready when Brexton is ready.
“Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry,” the team wrote on social media. “No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing.”
To put this into perspective, Richard Childress Racing did not do this when Dale Earnhardt died in 2001. The No. 3 car is still running today with Austin Dillon behind the wheel. “The Intimidator” and “Wild Thing” were a lot alike in many respects.
Advertisement
Austin Hill was already tabbed to replace Busch for this weekend after Busch had been hospitalized. Hill will drive the No. 33 Chevy at Charlotte on Sunday. It remains to be seen if Hill will race the rest of the Cup Series season or if RCR will find another driver, or multiple drivers, to race in the car.
Fans in Rowdy Nation have been very supportive of the move from RCR. It is going to be an emotional weekend, and that emotion is likely going to linger for weeks and months to come.
More Kyle Busch Updates
Advertisement
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Read the full article here
