Denny Hamlin was asked about the status of Kurt Busch Saturday morning at Kansas Speedway:
What has it been like being a two-car team and what is the latest update on Kurt Busch?
“I think it‘s been good going to two. Certainly Kurt (Busch) did what we asked him to do coming into this year and he‘s been a great teammate with Bubba (Wallace) and I think it helped us share some resources. Certainly, there has been some efficiencies gained from one to two with personnel. We would probably gain a little more with three, but four is just like adding another team. So I think that certainly there‘s positives to it, I don‘t see any negatives going to two from one, but we really like the addition of Kurt and that was really the catalyst for us starting a second is having someone like Kurt as a great veteran and mentor and really evaluate how is our team. He‘s been part of successful teams before and I don‘t see the road crew and the personnel that much on the weekend. I‘m so focused on the 11 car and what I need to do to make my team better that I can‘t really take time off to see how they‘re operating over there so Kurt‘s really been the person that‘s really helped with that. I think it‘s been really good and obviously, we really hope to have him back in the 45 car this year and next year and we plan on Kurt running unless he tells you all otherwise.”
Is there any chance Tyler Reddick could be at 23XI Racing before 2024?
“I don‘t think so. I think Tyler (Reddick) would like to play out his contract at RCR and that‘s what he‘s always intended. We‘ve not planned for anything otherwise. Kurt‘s (Busch) going to drive the 45 as far as we understand and unless he says differently and if he does say differently, then we have a couple options that we‘re looking at. But we never intended on getting Tyler before 2024.”
— Toyota Racing —
