Richard Childress Racing to run No. 33

Richard Childress Racing said on May 22 that it will stop using the No. 8 in NASCAR Cup Series competition and will field the No. 33 Chevrolet instead, beginning with Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team said Austin Hill will drive the No. 33 at Charlotte and in subsequent races. (nascar.com) NASCAR’s official entry list for the 67th Coca-Cola 600 shows 39 cars for Sunday’s race. The move came one day after the death of Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion who had driven Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8 car in 2026. NASCAR.com reported that RCR announced the change after Busch’s death and said the No. 8 would be held back from competition. (nascar.com) ### Why did Richard Childress Racing switch from No. 8 to No. 33? Richard Childress Racing said Friday that the No. 8 would be suspended from use in Cup competition after Busch’s death. NASCAR.com reported that the organization will use the No. 33 in its place at Charlotte and beyond. (nascar.com) NASCAR.com quoted Richard Childress as saying the team would reserve the No. 8 for Brexton Busch “when he is ready to go NASCAR racing.” That statement tied the number change directly to the team’s handling of Busch’s death and the future of the No. 8. (nascar.com) ### Who is driving the replacement car? Austin Hill was named by RCR as the driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet for Sunday’s race. NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing had already announced on Feb. 25 that Hill would run the No. 33 on a part-time Cup basis in 2026 with United Rentals sponsorship. (nascar.com) Hill’s regular assignment in 2026 has been Richard Childress Racing’s No. 21 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, according to his NASCAR driver page and the team’s roster page. RCR’s website still lists Busch with the No. 8 Cup team and Austin Dillon with the No. 3 Cup team. ### Was the No. 33 already part of RCR’s 2026 plans? (nascar.com) Richard Childress Racing said in February that Hill would make select Cup starts in the No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet beginning at Phoenix Raceway on March 8. That means the number itself was already active in RCR’s 2026 Cup plans before the Charlotte change. (nascar.com) The Charlotte decision changed which number would represent Busch’s former Cup slot, not whether RCR had access to the No. 33. NASCAR’s report on May 22 described the Charlotte entry as replacing the No. 8. (nascar.com) ### What does the Charlotte field look like now? NASCAR’s official Coca-Cola 600 entry list shows 39 cars, one short of a full 40-car field. The list published by NASCAR includes Hill among the entered drivers and confirms the race will be run at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. The 2026 Cup Series schedule page lists the Coca-Cola 600 for Sunday, May 24, at 6 p.m. (rcrracing.com) ET in Concord, North Carolina. NASCAR says Prime Video will carry the race. ### What happens next for RCR? Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 is the first race in which Richard Childress Racing will field the No. 33 in place of the No. 8. (nascar.com) RCR said Hill will drive the No. 33 at Charlotte “and beyond,” indicating the switch will continue after Memorial Day weekend. Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Cup race is scheduled for May 24 at 6 p.m. ET, and NASCAR’s entry list remains the formal lineup for the 39-car field. (nascar.com) Any further races for Hill in the No. 33 will come after that start at Charlotte. (nascar.com 1) (nascar.com 2)