Richard Childress Racing (RCR) took to social media to reveal the organization’s decision to replace the No. 8 with 33 for the remainder of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, beginning this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The decision was made a day after the death of Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who succumbed to a severe illness that involved hospitalization at the age of 41. Austin Hill, a full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion for RCR, will pilot the entry that was initially going to be numbered 8 for this Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
In the statement regarding the decision to suspend the use of the number 8, RCR revealed that Busch played an instrumental role in the recent design of the number since he joined the organization in 2023 and decided to designate the number and its style to Busch. RCR also revealed that the number 8 will be reserved for Busch’s son, Brexton, should he decide to compete in NASCAR.
RCR first fielded the No. 8 in June 1981 for Kirk Shelmerdine at Texas World Speedway before the number returned for two Cup events in 2018 with Daniel Hemric. Starting in 2019, the No. 8 became a full-time entry within RCR’s Cup program. Hemric piloted the No. 8 entry for a single season in 2019 before Tyler Reddick assumed driving controls of the entry for the next three seasons. During the latter’s time, he notched three victories, all of which occurred in 2022.
In 120 starts, Kyle Busch notched three victories, all of which occurred in 2023. He also recorded 18 top-five results, 39 top-10 results, three poles, 578 laps led and a single Playoff appearance in 2023, in which he finished in 14th place in the final standings.
Meanwhile, the number 33 from RCR last competed as a full-time Cup entry in 2011 with Clint Bowyer and has not won since Talladega Superspeedway in October 2011 with Bowyer. Since then, from 2012 to the early stages of the 2026 season, the number 33 appeared in a Cup event 56 times, including four times this season. During this time, a total of 10 competitors piloted the entry, including Austin Hill. Hill has also recorded the entry’s highest-finishing result of ninth place, which occurred at the Chicago Street Course in July 2025, and piloted the entry 12 times from 2022 to 2026. Hill and teammate Jesse Love have made a combined four Cup starts in the No. 33 entry this season.
The 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Sunday, May 24, at 6 p.m. ET on Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.
