Denny Hamlin recently spotlighted a driver, signed by Michael Jordan, who has set a new standard in NASCAR following the switch to Toyota. Just a year prior, Tyler Reddick had been behind the wheel of a Chevrolet. However, the news of his move to the Jordan and Hamlin-owned team resulted in the premature end of his contract, a year before its scheduled expiration.
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The retirement of Kurt Busch from full-time racing at 23XI Racing was a stroke of luck. It opened the door for Reddick to join the team a season earlier than anticipated and become Bubba Wallace’s teammate. His impressive driving skills and long-term potential have not gone unnoticed.
Denny Hamlin believed Michael Jordan’s driver set the bar for everyone
Tyler Reddick’s exceptional performance with Toyota Racing Development, halfway through the season with 23XI Racing, has impressed team co-owner, Denny Hamlin. Hamlin’s attention was caught by Reddick’s racing prowess, as reported by Heavy.
During a media session at Sonoma Raceway, Hamlin stated, “He certainly exposed me and my lack of skills, and [I] knew he would. I mean, you always want people that challenge you and challenge you to be better, and I think that when Tyler came over here this year we knew that he was going to be the bar that we had to set ourselves against.”
In addition, Hamlin shed light on how Reddick has helped enhance his road course performance. He also stressed that continual improvement remains the focus for everyone on the Toyota Racing Development team.
Reddick’s performance spiked since the 2022 season
Reddick stepped into the Cup Series in 2020, but as a rookie, he took two seasons to fully acclimate to the high-stakes environment, without securing any wins. Yet, in 2022, he truly came into his own, clinching a total of three races, with two victories on road courses.
While racing for Richard Childress, he first savored victory at Road America in July 2022. Out-gunning HMS’ Chase Elliott, he drove the #8 car to its first win since Dale Earnhardt Jr’s race win at Richmond Raceway back in 2006. Four weeks later, he claimed his second career victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. Leading 38 laps from pole position and overtaking Ross Chastain in the final part of the race.
After a successful 2022 campaign, Reddick moved to 23XI Racing. Although he faced early setbacks with two DNFs in his initial races. Despite a dip in the rankings, he bounced back with top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, finally securing his fourth career win.
