What Really Gives Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson the Edge Over Other NASCAR Drivers

Several NASCAR drivers hailing from dirt and sprint racing backgrounds have successfully transitioned to the sport’s highest echelons in stock car racing’s current day and age. Their early racing experiences have seemingly enhanced their car handling skills with what has been a temperamental Next Gen Cup car ever since its 2022 debut.

The same is evident in the Round of 12 standings, which consists of four drivers from dirt racing backgrounds—namely Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, and Alex Bowman—who stand at the top of the charts. 

Reddick recently answered whether dirt racing experience helps drivers adapt to the seventh-generation racecar better. The 23XI regular seemed to agree without stating the same out loud. He explained that during his time in the playoffs, he noticed that risk-taking had not always been rewarded in the past.

However, the #45 driver observed a shift, suggesting that the stakes and rewards for daring strategies seem to be on the rise.

“For us, when we come from dirt racing, we’re used to making aggressive moves, dealing with aggressive race tracks, if you will, at times too, and just having to go out there and in the first lap or two find it. You get three or four laps in warm-up or practice and you gotta go run a lap in qualifying. Just our nature, our upbringing, really kind of primed us for how this car races today,” he told the press.

Reddick also touched on the unique aspect of dirt regulars, noting that drivers like himself and Kyle Larson are accustomed to the quick pace of dirt racing, where they might only have two laps to get a feel for the track compared to the more extended stages in NASCAR.

During grassroots dirt racing, events often last between 20 to 50 laps, even in larger competitions, providing little room for adjustment. This lack of time to adapt, he believes, has prepared them well for the rapid adjustments required by the Next Gen cars at the sport’s highest level.

Chase Briscoe on the advantages of dirt racing experience on NASCAR road courses

Road courses with their complex mix of left and right turns pose unique challenges, especially for drivers like Denny Hamlin who primarily excel on oval tracks. However, dirt racing, known for enhancing drivers’ control over their vehicles under less predictable conditions, seems to provide a competitive edge.

It boosts the driver’s ability to navigate on slippery surfaces or tight corners, teaching drivers to operate “on the edge.” Chase Briscoe, who hails from a Sprint Car racing family in Indiana, finds that his background in dirt racing has been beneficial during his NASCAR career.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Watkins Glen race this season, Briscoe shared insights into how dirt racing parallels road course challenges.

“You still have more power a lot of the time on exit than you really need, so you’re spinning the tires and you’ve got to really finesse the throttle, which is a lot like dirt racing. Just how you have to really slide the car around and hustle the car is very similar to dirt racing. I just feel like you drive more on the edge on a road course than you do on an oval.”

He also mentioned how dirt racing gives him a unique perspective on speed, making the high velocities in NASCAR feel more manageable. It makes the Cup car seem slower by comparison when he races on dirt before a NASCAR weekend, enhancing his ability to handle the car more effectively. 

Whether this advantage plays to the drivers’ benefit this coming weekend at Talladega Superspeedway is one question that is almost impossible to answer. Given the upcoming track’s reputation for being the great equalizer, good fortune might benefit a driver more than absolute car control this Sunday.