Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace have struggled to maintain their momentum in the second round of the playoffs. In New Hampshire, the 23XI Racing drivers faltered, and the final transfer spot feels increasingly out of reach for them.
Advertisement
Chase Briscoe currently holds the last transfer position with two races remaining in the Round of 12. Reddick trails the cutline by 23 points, while Wallace is 27 points behind. This, after both the drivers had entered the round in a strong position.
Wallace entered fourth in the standings with a 50-point cushion, and Reddick was seventh after a runner-up finish at Darlington and solid top-20 results at Gateway and Bristol. New Hampshire, however, flipped the script.
Reddick limped home 21st after brake issues, while Wallace slipped to 26th after wrestling handling problems early in the race. This despite Reddick starting fourth and Wallace 14th. Both drivers saw their playoff campaign crumble in a single afternoon.
NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte, however, gave both drivers a pass for their Loudon struggles. “There [are] 12 drivers in the playoffs. One has a zero in the win column this year, and it’s Tyler Reddick, and I think he’s a winning driver,” he said.
“They did amazing things last year… they catch up with you eventually. And I think now the #45, his path to advancement, is to go next week and change that zero. Go from a zero to a one… He had a subpar day. It could have been worse. He missed the five,” added Letarte.
In Wallace’s case, Letarte shifted the blame. “I don’t put this on the drivers. Actually, I put it in the organization. I don’t believe they gave their drivers the cars to compete. That’s not a shock. I gave my drivers a lot of bad cars and not as many good cars… It’s a competitive sport,” he said.
Team co-owner Denny Hamlin had already echoed that sentiment, insisting Wallace and Reddick are not in must-win territory yet. He admitted the cars lacked both speed and handling at Loudon, but stressed that it would have been a must-win if they were below 30 points going into the last race.
The next race at Kansas Speedway could offer redemption. In 2023, Reddick secured his playoff spot there with a win, while Wallace claimed victory in 2022 after climbing from sixth on the grid. He had earned stage finishes of fifth and fourth before taking the checkered flag.
“And the good news is they’re going to Kansas. Bubba said they’ve lost some of the magic there, but I do think if there’s ever a track where they feel like they could go and be great, it’s got to be it’s got to be Kansas,” said Letarte.
However, 23XI’s recent record at Kansas is hardly inspiring. Wallace grabbed a top five in the spring 2023 race, but his last four results at the 1.5-mile track are 33rd, 17th, 17th, and 32nd. The No. 23’s playoff push this season has hinged on banking stage points, and without them, the uphill climb steepens. Reddick’s recent Kansas ledger is also cause for concern, with finishes of 17th, 25th, and 20th in his last three starts.
The Roval, the last race of the Round of 12, would present an even greater challenge for the two 23XI drivers with its tricky infield hairpin and unpredictable layout.
The clock is ticking for both drivers. Without a quick turnaround, New Hampshire could be remembered as the race where 23XI’s championship chase ran out of road.
