Unlike Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch, Why Tyler Reddick Enjoys Racing at Darlington

Ahead of the much-awaited spring race in Darlington, drivers including Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott expressed concern about the difficulty in making passes at the egg-shaped oval without crashing their cars. But this year’s maiden Talladega winner Tyler Reddick, while aware of the threat, welcomes it with open arms.

Talking to the press at the race venue, he explained the edge that he had over his counterparts that helped him gain confidence to tackle the Lady in Black. “I think I have a lot of fun racing here,” he said. “I have a lot of fun racing other competitors but I have a lot of fun just running laps at this track. My first ever lap in the Next Gen car and the NASCAR Next Gen Version 3 car was here.”

The multiple tests and rookie runs on the Darlington surface are what Reddick believes are in his corner. Over nine appearances, he has secured four top-10 finishes that include two runner-ups. He continued, “I’ve had some unique experiences that have probably helped me get better here.”

“But I think the biggest thing is just the way the tires were out and the amount you have to move around, the amount of risk you have to take every single lap and manage that for a whole race has kind of benefited me.” Reddick has been enjoying a quite successful 2024 championship campaign so far. He has seven top-10s, four top-5s, and one win in the first 12 races.

Why the Darlington Raceway intimidates Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch

Darlington is a 1.36-mile asphalt oval with one end much narrower than the other. This extreme shape makes its corners tough to navigate without causing damage to the car. Chase Elliott fell prey to this trap back in 2022 when he hit the wall and couldn’t fix his car within the repair time allowed as per the Damaged Vehicle Policy. In his words to the press, he detailed his wariness going into Sunday.

“These cars are so fragile with the way the suspension components are, even now that they’ve changed them a lot,” he said. “You just can’t afford to hit the wall very hard. You end up bending something and it can ruin your day. That risk versus reward and the fine line of when to push and how hard to push is important there.” 

2X Cup Series champion Kyle Busch won in Darlington back in 2008. He noted, “I think we’ve always kind of had trouble passing there to begin with, because the track is so narrow and it’s really, really tough to pass regardless.” The coming race will be his 25th appearance at the track. Notably, he crashed his Truck on Friday after hitting the wall in just the race’s second lap.