Tyler Reddick, last year’s regular-season champion and a three-time winner in 2023, has yet to find victory lane this season. He enters Kansas Speedway sitting 11th in the Round of 12 standings, 23 points below the cutline, making Sunday’s race a potential turning point in his playoff fate.
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Kansas has been a double-edged sword for Reddick. In 2023, the track handed him the playoff-clinching win that paved his way into the postseason. But his more recent trips tell a different story, with finishes of 17th, 25th, and 20th in his last three starts there.
Even so, the driver of the No. 45 remains cautiously optimistic. In his pre-race media availability, he admitted Kansas naturally brings nerves, given the team’s recent struggles at the 1.5-mile oval. Still, he pointed out that Toyota and 23XI cars have historically shown strength at the venue.
“I’d say the last two or three times we’ve been here, we’ve just been missing a little bit of something. And yeah, the car changes. The Goodyear tires change. So naturally, you got to keep up with it. So yeah, I think it’s fair to be nervous. There’s a lot that weighs on this weekend. It’s super important for us to either win or run top five all day and score a lot of points.”
“I think it’s fair to be nervous. There’s a lot that weighs on this weekend.” @TylerReddick touched on 23XI Racing’s recent performance, full season points and what to expect this weekend. #NASCAR
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Coming off a rough outing at New Hampshire, Reddick stressed that the entire team has their heads down in preparation. He believes the adversity at Loudon has sharpened their focus. He understands that it’s easy to be down, but they have two opportunities to either win or score a lot of points.
Looking at the bigger picture, Reddick sees reason for hope. His No. 45 team has brought winning-caliber cars to other mile-and-a-half tracks this year, and Kansas fits the same mold. “There’s been a lot of time for things to change, people to catch up, people to fall behind,” he admitted. But he also confessed that uncertainty only heightens the nerves heading into one of the season’s most pivotal weekends.
