Due to the Charter Lawsuit, the pressure isn’t just on Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, but also on Tyler Reddick. He’s the same driver who clinched a spot in the Championship 4 with his win at Homestead-Miami this year but is also standing on the edge.
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Currently, Reddick faces the unsettling possibility of becoming a free agent, along with the team’s sponsors, at season’s end if NASCAR decides against granting the 23XI Racing team their charters, as was hinted by NASCAR lawyer, Chris Yates on the first day of the hearing.
However, much like Michael Jordan, Reddick’s immediate focus is likely on capturing a championship victory first.
Alongside the 2022 and 2023 NASCAR Cup Champions, both from Team Penske, the spotlight is certainly on them and the #45, while William Byron is still surrounded by controversies regarding his qualifying. Given Reddick’s performance and consistency throughout the season, this could very well be the year 23XI secures the championship, validating Hamlin’s faith in him.
Providing a small back-story of the time when Reddick was appointed, the 23XI president Steve Lauletta said that it was Hamlin himself who recognized Tyler’s potential and was instrumental in bringing him on board. He disclosed:
“Denny [Hamlin] was the one who was zeroed in on going after and hiring Tyler Reddick. He saw his talent, raced against him, knew that he is going to be a race-winning driver and champion driver at this level in the Cup Series.”
Lauletta further emphasized Reddick’s fit with the team, stating,
“To give him the chance, and for him to work with us to be able to go to Phoenix and have a chance to race for 23XI’s first championship is just all a testament to it being the right place for him to be and to take the next step in his career.”
Having seen Reddick’s back-to-back Xfinity Series championships in 2018 and 2019 with different teams at the season finale at Homestead, Hamlin was convinced Reddick was the right choice for his team. Before joining 23XI Racing, Reddick drove Richard Childress Racing’s #8 car, but his best finish in those three seasons was only 13th place.
However, 2023 marked his debut season with Hamlin and Jordan’s team, and he swung for the fences, landing 6th in the final standings. This year, he’s even advanced to the final four, showing that Hamlin‘s bet on him has indeed paid off.
Back in August 2024, the co-owner of 23XI Racing [Hamlin] himself praised the #45 driver, stressing Reddick’s knack for adjusting to any racing scenario as his standout trait. He commented,
“I knew he was good at it. He was certainly good at it, at several different race tracks but his ability to adapt during a race. No one has a perfect handle on the car, but driving the best of what you’ve got is what I think he is really, really good at.”
Previewing Reddick’s run for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway
Reddick has made a total of nine starts at Phoenix, posting an average finish of 17.9 with two top-5s and three top-10s under his belt. All of his top finishes have come in the last three years. Despite a promising start from P10 in last year’s championship race, Reddick crossed the finish line at P22.
However, in this year’s spring race at Phoenix, Reddick improved his standing, advancing from P6 in the early stages to secure a P10 finish. His track record shows that spring races at Phoenix have seen better performances from him in the last two seasons.
During the Round of 8 playoff races, despite a victory at Homestead, Reddick couldn’t maintain the momentum and finished P34 at Martinsville, starting from P31. Yet, if he can channel his Miami prowess, Reddick stands a strong chance to contend for victory at Phoenix.
