Tyler Reddick Sets Down Markers for Kansas to Mount 23XI Racing’s Resurgence in the NASCAR Playoffs

Neha Dwivedi | 28/09/2025
The Beast Toyota driver Tyler Reddick (45) walks to his car ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, March 2, 2025 in Austin.

Tyler Reddick, last year’s regular-season champion and a three-time winner in 2023, has yet to find victory lane this season. He enters Kansas Speedway sitting 11th in the Round of 12 standings, 23 points below the cutline, making Sunday’s race a potential turning point in his playoff fate.

Kansas has been a double-edged sword for Reddick. In 2023, the track handed him the playoff-clinching win that paved his way into the postseason. But his more recent trips tell a different story, with finishes of 17th, 25th, and 20th in his last three starts there.

Even so, the driver of the No. 45 remains cautiously optimistic. In his pre-race media availability, he admitted Kansas naturally brings nerves, given the team’s recent struggles at the 1.5-mile oval. Still, he pointed out that Toyota and 23XI cars have historically shown strength at the venue.

“I’d say the last two or three times we’ve been here, we’ve just been missing a little bit of something. And yeah, the car changes. The Goodyear tires change. So naturally, you got to keep up with it. So yeah, I think it’s fair to be nervous. There’s a lot that weighs on this weekend. It’s super important for us to either win or run top five all day and score a lot of points.”

 

Coming off a rough outing at New Hampshire, Reddick stressed that the entire team has their heads down in preparation. He believes the adversity at Loudon has sharpened their focus. He understands that it’s easy to be down, but they have two opportunities to either win or score a lot of points.

Looking at the bigger picture, Reddick sees reason for hope. His No. 45 team has brought winning-caliber cars to other mile-and-a-half tracks this year, and Kansas fits the same mold. “There’s been a lot of time for things to change, people to catch up, people to fall behind,” he admitted. But he also confessed that uncertainty only heightens the nerves heading into one of the season’s most pivotal weekends.

Post Edited By: Nidhi
23XI Racing Tyler Reddick

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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