The 2025 NASCAR Cup season has been challenging for Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing, who entered the year as the defending regular season champion but has yet to secure a victory. At the playoff opener held at Darlington Raceway, Reddick’s attempt to claim a win was thwarted by Chase Briscoe’s overwhelming control of the race, leaving Reddick frustrated and unable to convert his pace into a victory. The Chase Briscoe Darlington Race’s outcome has heightened tension within the team as Reddick struggles to close the gap on his teammate.
Dominance of Chase Briscoe at Darlington Leaves Reddick Behind
During the Southern 500, which marked the start of the 2025 playoff season, Chase Briscoe exhibited commanding performance by leading over 300 laps and steering his No. 19 Toyota to a convincing win. Tyler Reddick, driving the No. 45 Toyota, pursued Briscoe throughout but was ultimately unable to overcome his teammate’s pace. Despite a strong car and a consistent season thus far, Reddick had to settle for second place after pushing hard in the closing laps.
Reddick expressed his dissatisfaction in the post-race interview, highlighting that his car lost the balance needed on long runs. He explained that although he closed the gap toward the end, there was not enough time left to make a successful pass on Briscoe. The repeated near-misses have been a source of growing frustration for the veteran driver.
“The balance had just kind of gone away. It was a long run, for sure … We just weren’t tight enough in the end to be able to do something with the No. 19 [Briscoe]. For me, it just makes me sick. I feel like late in this race, especially the Southern 500, I always find myself second or third in the last green-flag run, trying to pass the leader.” —Tyler Reddick, Driver
Reddick’s Struggle with Car Balance and Consistent Second-Place Finishes
Tyler Reddick attributed much of his difficulty to the lack of grip and car balance in the final stages of the race. Throughout the event, the balance of his car deteriorated, affecting his ability to challenge Briscoe aggressively. Despite trying multiple strategies, Reddick found himself “sick” over falling short once again, especially at a track where he has lost crucial opportunities before.
Reddick also acknowledged the mental toll of these repeated results, explaining that while he intends to focus on the playoffs soon, the sting of the Darlington loss lingers. He admitted that his experience at Darlington has been particularly vexing.
“I think Monday morning, I’ll wake up and be thinking playoffs, but right now I’m just thinking about this race – Darlington. Those things are great for us, but man I’ve done everything to win at this place and it’s really starting to drive me nuts (laughs).” —Tyler Reddick, Driver
Reddick Ran Out of Options in His Pursuit of Briscoe
In the same post-race discussion, Reddick revealed that he exhausted his available tactics when chasing Briscoe, especially in managing grip and corner entry. Reddick admitted he was loose coming off the wall and struggled to find traction. His efforts to gauge the car’s grip limits were unsuccessful, leaving him unable to mount the decisive pass.
“I was out of ideas. I was really loose off the wall. He was as well. I was trying to get a gauge for how much grip I was going to have. I really drove it in there and I didn’t have any.” —Tyler Reddick, Driver
One potential move to overtake Briscoe involved bumping the leader’s left rear tire, a common tactic in NASCAR to destabilize a car. However, Reddick knowingly avoided this maneuver because the risk of spinning out himself was too high, especially with the significant playoff points on the line late in the event.
“I was pretty much hanging on from the moment I hit the brake pedal. Just trying to hang onto his left-rear, but it was going to take a bump in the left-rear to upset his car and that probably would have spun me out.” —Tyler Reddick, Driver
Implications for Reddick’s Playoff Strategy Moving Forward
By settling for second place, Reddick secured valuable points but also demonstrated caution that may need to evolve as the playoffs progress. If he hopes to mount a championship challenge, he may need to reevaluate his risk tolerance and take bolder moves in upcoming races. The next race at Gateway offers an opportunity to turn his frustrations into aggressive on-track results.
Meanwhile, Briscoe’s dominance at Darlington highlights the strength of 23XI Racing’s Toyota cars but also sets a benchmark that Reddick is desperate to meet. As the season advances, Reddick’s challenge will be to translate consistent speed into race wins and break out of the pattern of coming painfully close without finishing first. His candid expressions of anxiety and disappointment underscore the emotional pressures drivers face during a fiercely competitive NASCAR season.
