Tyler Reddick managed to clinch pole position this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the famed Brickyard 400’s return this season. However, 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace was way off the pace on Saturday. Wallace was nowhere near the #45 Toyota Camry driver as he qualified in P17 ahead of the 160-lap-long event. Speaking to the media after Saturday’s session, the driver of the #23 Toyota was understandably dejected as he explained what went wrong.
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He elaborated on the substantial gap between the two 23XI Racing drivers this year. With five races left to go during the regular season, the upcoming weekends serve as Wallace’s final opportunities to punch a playoff ticket. Tyler Reddick has already secured his place in the playoffs after winning at Talladega earlier this year. He also has earned 14 top-10 finishes while Wallace has only managed seven. There is a long way to go for Wallace to match the #45 driver but he has faith in his crew.
Tomorrow: We race. 🟢
Qualifying from @IMS:@tylerreddick P1@bubbawallace P17#TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/KvekeBWtMv
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) July 20, 2024
“I felt okay…slower than my teammate so I gotta step it up,” he said. “Biggest track position race of the year coming tomorrow so…just never really got a clean lap. I just underdrove the car in qualifying today, it’s a bummer for sure but we have the potential.”
The Mobile, Alabama native finds himself in 17th place on the points table, 27 points below the cutline. It is possible to qualify for the playoffs from this situation with a win. However, the upcoming few weeks are going to be nervy for the 30-year-old.
Reddick brings road course form to Indy Oval
Tyler Reddick was pleasantly surprised after seeing his pace at the 2.5-mile-long oval track. The driver of the #45 car has always been fast at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course layout. Coming to the oval after a significant gap, Reddick managed to show that he still had pace despite the change of layout. With overtaking being deemed difficult ahead of Sunday’s race owing to the new car’s characteristics, the 23XI star is starting from the most advantageous position, hoping to maintain the lead.
“It’s just really cool. I’ve been really fortunate to come here and have a lot of speed on the road course. It’s great to be back on the oval here and have that speed again. I’m excited for (Sunday). We’re going to have an awesome opportunity with pit selection, and obviously, our Toyota Camry is really fast,” he said.
The 28-year-old has come close to winning after Talladega on multiple occasions but has fallen short. Victories for the #45 crew were on the cards at Nashville and Chicago. However, driver error from the California native cost him both races. It remains to be seen if Reddick can piece the complete puzzle this weekend.
