July 30, 2019 | By Lee Spencer

Childress wants Reddick in Cup

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Richard Childress wants the best for Tyler Reddick. 

And if it’s up to the team owner, the best place for Reddick will be behind the wheel of a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2020.

Reddick, the defending Xfinity Series Champion, currently drives the No. 2 Chevy in his first season with RCR. 
“He’s a good kid,” Childress said. “He’s going to be a superstar. We hope to keep him, but you know how this sport is. It boils down to dollars. We want to keep him here if there’s any way. If there’s not, I want to see him get a good situation—not just a situation. I want to see him a good situation.

“Our goal is to put him in a Cup car. That’s what he wants to do—it’s the reason he came to RCR, because he knew we had Cup cars up there and Cup experience. He’ll win some races if you put him in a Cup car. We’re doing everything we can to keep him here.”

Reddick cut his teeth on dirt before moving to stock cars in 2012. The 23-year-old Corning, Californian ran 16 of 22 races in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series in 2014 for Brad Keselowski Racing. He then won the truck season opener at Daytona the following year before finishing second in the standings.

After nearly three full seasons in trucks, Reddick ran a partial Xfinity Series schedule with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2017. He won at Kentucky Speedway in his 15th-career start. Reddick moved to JR Motorsports the following year and won the Xfinity Series title in his first full season on the tour. 

“Tyler has that never-give-up attitude,” Childress added. “If you pass him, he's going to try and pass you back. He’s not going to give up and he’s just a hard racer. He has the car control. He has the talent it takes to put behind it to win. He’s definitely a winner and you’ll see more of Tyler Reddick in the future.”

Childress tested the Cup waters with Reddick this year in the Daytona 500 and at Kansas Speedway in May, where he finished ninth.

“All we’ve talked about is Cup—and that’s where he want’s to be,” Childress said. “I think he deserves it. Two years and he’s had success. He ran truck a couple of years and he had success. He’s ready for Cup right now.”