NASCAR, like every organization in the world of sports, adapts to the changing environment around them and with the term “artificial intelligence” being of particular importance in this day and age, comes the need for teams in the sport to embrace it, or eventually die out. Tyler Reddick, who drives for 23XI Racing, a modern ambitious outfit, knows all about that.
Advertisement
The team may not be bonafide championship favorites, but is in the hunt with resources to match its ambition. Even so, when it comes to artificial intelligence, it is feeling its way.
In a time when AI has its fingerprints on almost every corner of the world, the question has been knocking on the garage door. Are teams using it to stay ahead of the curve? Reddick, who opened the season with three wins on the bounce, shut down the inquiries about the usage of AI from the driver’s seat, saying that the road has not been fully constructed yet.
He said in a CNBC interview, “For me, in the car, I don’t have access really to any of that. I think it is something that the teams are exploring, just trying to find ways that we can make use of the data that we have. I think right now, it’s not something we really rely on a lot…
“But I think we’re just trying to learn and find ways how can we utilize this is, can we, can we go down this path and find a use for it?”
Reddick added that the search is still on, with teams booting the tires and looking under the hood to see where it might fit. “I definitely think it’s something that they’re playing around with to see if we can find use. And I certainly think once we find what that thing is, it’ll be used on a more consistent basis.”
The modern Cup car produces a flood of data, enough to bury a team if left unchecked. Drivers can see more, engineers can measure more, and yet making sense of it all can feel like chasing shadows. The aim with AI is not to reinvent the wheel, but to cut through the noise, flag what matters, and leave the rest in the dust.
The #45 driver pointed to that overload, noting how the sheer volume can slow teams down rather than push them forward.
“But there’s a lot in the NASCAR world now that we race and live in with all the data that we’re able to see off of these race cars, the drivers are able to see of each other. There’s just so much data to go through that it is a bit overwhelming. So, trying to nail something down in that direction to make it just make it more efficient,” Reddick continued.
For now, AI remains a tool on the bench; more of a testing concept. Once teams find a clear lane, they can move from trial to track in short order.
Reddick, meanwhile, sees it in simple terms, likening it to everyday tech where answers appear with a tap, for example, using SIRI on his iPhone.
