Reddick Reflects on Challenging Regular Season Ahead of NASCAR Playoffs
Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing conducted a thorough analysis of the recently concluded NASCAR Cup Series regular season and expressed dissatisfaction with the results. Reddick secured a playoff spot on points during the final weekend at Daytona International Speedway, marking a significant decline from the victories and regular-season championship achieved by his No. 45 team in the previous year.
Reddick stated, “We did that and got to look at a lot of numbers and a lot of things, and I don’t know if it helped. I think it adds to the frustration. Even more reason for a reset going into the playoffs.” He characterized the season’s performance as marked by both strengths—amassing the fifth-most stage points in the series—and weaknesses, including a notably low number of top-10 finishes (nine) among playoff contenders.
Analysis revealed that while the team displayed competitive speed throughout the season, the discrepancy between their pace and finishing positions was concerning. Reddick noted, “It had the feeling, from my vantage point, that the speed wasn’t quite the same… it’s just when you look at pace and everything that we have versus our finishing position, not many in the field are worse.”
Entering the playoffs as the No. 14 seed with just six playoff points, Reddick faces significant challenges. The first round includes races at Darlington, St. Louis, and Bristol—tracks where he has yet to secure a Cup Series win.
On strategies for the playoffs, Reddick humorously advised, “Pretty much don’t do what we did in the first 26 races. Don’t take ourselves out.” Emphasizing a team-wide effort for improvement, he added, “The word ‘reset’ has been thrown around a lot today. We have to go out there and do what we’ve been capable of all year, and just actually do it this time.”
As the playoffs approach, Reddick and his team will need to maximize their performance to contend effectively in a highly competitive field.
