After securing the first-ever regular season championship for the 23XI Racing team, Tyler Reddick’s performance saw a downturn during the playoffs. His win at Michigan marks six races since he has managed to crack the top-5. However, as the defending champion at the track, Reddick is ready to face the upcoming challenges at Talladega.
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During the pre-race media session ahead of the Kansas race, Reddick discussed his strategy for replicating his spring victory at Talladega, stating, “I don’t think we approach it differently. You still need to do what is best for your team whether that’s as yourself or working with the other Toyotas.”
Adding, “We just have to be adaptable when you go to speedway races like that. You have to be ready to adjust up or adjust down. It just depends on how much fuel saving takes place in the stages of the race. I think that’s going to really dictate who gets where.”
His strongest showing in this year’s playoffs occurred during the first race of the Round of 16 at Atlanta, where he advanced from a starting position of 23rd to finish 6th. Since that race, his performances at Watkins Glen, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Kansas have seen him unable to secure a finish better than 20th.
Looking forward, Reddick is ready to compete at Talladega next weekend, a track where he previously won in April despite starting P18. To replicate that success, the 23XI Racing driver will need to have the same momentum he exhibited at the superspeedway during the spring race.
His average finish at Talladega is 19.2 over nine Cup starts. Reddick’s best finishes at the track were P7 in 2020 and 2021, achieved while he was driving the #8 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing.
Currently, the 2024 regular season champion is ranked 9th in the driver playoff standings, trailing four points below the cutline. He began the playoffs with a 20-point advantage, but with only two races remaining in the Round of 12, he finds himself among the bottom four.
After Talladega, the elimination race for the Round of 12 will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval configuration. Reddick’s average finish at the track is 7.0 across four starts, with one top-5 finish in 2021. Hence, the #45 driver still has two significant opportunities to advance to the Round of 8.
