Tyler Reddick is currently in a strong position with 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, but long before he became a weekly front-runner, he showed the same independence and competitive clarity, particularly while racing under the banner of Brad Keselowski Racing.
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Reflecting on how Brad Keselowski operated as a team owner during that period, Reddick once offered an assessment in an interview with Frontstretch. He explained that Keselowski’s schedule left little room for constant interaction, owing to the demands of the latter’s Cup calendar. Between racing obligations, media appearances, and other responsibilities, Keselowski’s time was stretched thin.
“Aside from that, I try not to bug him too much more than that because as a truck team, we may have time with a few weeks off, but we race back-to-back and run out of time throughout the week. I can’t imagine what he goes through, and he has a lot more media responsibilities and things he has to do. I don’t get to see him all the time, but when I get to talk to him, it’s great to see him around.”
But Reddick never interpreted Keselowski’s limited availability as disinterest. On the contrary, he recognized that a hands-off presence did not equate to a lack of care. Keselowski’s expectations remained to see his Truck drivers run at the front, contend for wins, and avoid fading into the background.
During his time in the Truck Series, Reddick captured three wins across three seasons and wrapped up his second full year with the organization as the championship runner-up. Those results showed that Reddick was a driver who already understood how to manage his craft, process feedback, and execute on track, without relying much on his team owner.
Today, the #45 driver lines up on the same NASCAR Cup Series grid as his former team owner, but during his developmental years, he could already tell that Keselowski approached ownership with a purpose rooted in helping his drivers raise their ceiling rather than merely filling seats.
When asked whether Keselowski carried himself more like an owner, a competitor, a friend, or some blend of all three, Reddick avoided labels. Instead, he described Keselowski as someone who remained approachable regardless of circumstance, someone drivers could seek out whenever questions surfaced or uncertainty crept in.
As Reddick explained at the time, “Brad is obviously a Sprint Cup champion. But whenever he comes around, he is very much in tune with what we are doing with the trucks. He’ll say: If you feel this, maybe you should try this. He is always a great person to go to if you have any questions on anything. It’s a nice thing. You have an owner, but you have somebody that you can go to ask questions to. He has his advantages for sure.”
In 2016, he wrapped up the season ninth in the standings, closing the chapter on his Truck Series tenure with BKR before stepping up to the Xfinity ranks. But the transition marked a turning point not just for Reddick, but for the organization itself.
One year after Reddick moved on, Keselowski decided to shut down his Truck Series program in 2017. The team’s final entries included the Nos. 19 and 29 Ford F-150s, driven by Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe.
