Is a Kyle Larson-Tyler Reddick Rivalry Brewing in NASCAR?

Kyle Larson has been rivals with quite a few of his fellow drivers at the Cup level in NASCAR. Speaking of his hottest ones, some would say, Denny Hamlin, while some others might say Christopher Bell. But the most recent rivalry that has many talking is with Tyler Reddick, considering the Vegas race was the third time Reddick has finished second behind Larson.

Last week at Las Vegas, Larson had to keep Reddick at bay to sweep the race. The #45 driver had expected Larson to take the middle or the lower groove and, therefore, he was riding on the top line. However, Larson seemed to have foreseen Reddick’s moves. He veered to the top lane, aero-blocked the 23XI driver, and held him off to grab the checkered flag and, with that, a playoff spot.

Now the question is, what will Reddick do with that? In a recent Dirty Mo Media podcast, Ryan McGee, senior writer for ESPN, said, “Is it the motivator for you? Or, do you become, and with the greatest respect to a Hall of Famer, Rusty Wallace, who couldn’t get around Dale Earnhardt in his head? Tyler is the kind of guy that will turn that into motivation. But man, it’s got to be so frustrating.”

Fourth time's the charm for Tyler Reddick? 🍀🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/JlvkkChm33

— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) March 5, 2024

Larson shows mad respect for Reddick’s talent

Larson and Reddick have been competing with each other since they were kids. The duo have battled it out several times, racing sprint cars on dirt tracks. Recently, Larson reposted a picture, originally shared by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck, perhaps as a way to applaud Reddick’s efforts last Sunday.

In the picture, Reddick was seen with a double thumbs up while little Larson looked quite flabbergasted and clueless. Larson made a trip down memory lane and captioned the post, “I just want @TylerReddick to bring back the double thumbs up like the old days ” Clearly, Larson is rooting for the #45 driver.

I just want @TylerReddick to bring back the double thumbs up like the old days 👍🏼👍🏼 https://t.co/K7izrzcvsz

— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) March 4, 2024

So to conclude, neither Reddick nor Larson consider each other rivals. Rather, it looks like Larson wants Reddick to succeed. Will Reddick build on Larson rooting for him, or will it foster a new rivalry?