Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, spoke to the media on Wednesday during the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day, sharing insights into his mindset heading into this year’s Playoffs. After last year’s playoff run, Reddick brings a deeper understanding of the pressure and strategy needed to advance, emphasizing the importance of experience and minimal errors in this year’s intense competition.
“I think it’s just experience. Yeah, for me, I was on the good side of it last year. I’ve done this a few times. Coming in with very little Playoff points so it’s just all experience. Last year was a little nicer one, right? Because we were able to have those Playoff points to fall back on. It seemed like even though we had them in each round, we found our way into trouble. So, I think this time around we’ve got to be much more on top of it. We don’t have that much room for error but that’s okay. There are some good tracks. Obviously, Darlington is a great one to start at. There’s a lot of good tracks in the Playoffs for this team I think.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Reviewing the Season’s Strengths and Challenges Ahead of the Playoffs
Reflecting on the team‘s performance through the regular season, Reddick acknowledged that reviewing data and analyzing strengths and weaknesses added to the urgency for a fresh start in the Playoffs. Despite solid speed at times, execution issues prevented better finishes, fueling the need for a reset heading into the crucial final races.
“Yeah, we did that. Got to look at a lot of numbers and a lot of things. I don’t know if it helped. I think it added to the frustration. Even more reason for a reset going into the Playoffs, if you will.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
He further explained that while the raw speed of their Toyota Camrys has been competitive, their finishing positions often didn’t reflect that potential. Managing consistency and capitalizing on the vehicle’s speed by securing top-five finishes and wins will be essential in each playoff round.
“Well, I mean honestly, it has the feeling from my vantage point that the speed just wasn’t quite the same. Obviously, the execution we all know is not great. Looking at everything that we have, the speed seems pretty good. Yeah, just when you look at pace and everything that we have versus our finishing position, not many in the field are worse. We’ve just really got to take advantage of fast Toyota Camrys and get top fives and win races especially here in each of these rounds.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Resetting the Team’s Mindset to Chase the Championship
Asked how the team plans to win the championship, Reddick highlighted the importance of learning from earlier mistakes and avoiding self-inflicted setbacks. The decade-long race driver admitted that a major change in approach and collective reflection across the team is essential to turning potential into victories during these make-or-break playoffs.
“Pretty much don’t do what we did the first 26 races (laughter). We’ve been in a position to win and lose, we just – don’t take ourselves out. Yeah, there’s plenty of things on a more serious note to go over and look at how we’ve been doing things. Everyone on the team has been looking into that, working hard, reflecting. And, yeah, the word reset has been thrown around a lot today. I feel like that’s a good way for us to look at it as well. Yeah, we’ve had a tough regular season. Yes, we’re behind the cut line and everything else but the points margins are all closed up quite a bit with the Playoff seeding. We’ve just got to go out there and do what we’ve been capable of all year – just do it this time.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Confidence in Darlington and Other Playoff Tracks
Starting the playoffs at Darlington Raceway brings reassurance to Reddick, who considers the track one where he can compete successfully irrespective of his form on race day. His history at Darlington, including both the spring race and the prestigious Southern 500, has yielded solid finishes and leadership laps, solidifying it as a place where he can build momentum.
“For me, going to Darlington to start really helps because that’s a track for me that even when I like just can’t even function as a driver we still manage to run somewhere in the top 10. I feel like over the years that’s a place that when we’re strong we’re upfront, we’re leading laps and when we’re a little off we’re still in the top 10 and top five. So, for me, that’s just been one of those tracks just whether it’s the spring race or the Southern 500, it’s just a really good track for me.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Looking beyond Darlington, Reddick shared cautious optimism about the overall playoff schedule but flagged Bristol Motor Speedway as a challenge where the team has struggled to find winning speed in recent seasons. He emphasized Gateway Motorsports Park and Martinsville Speedway as tracks where the team’s Camrys generally perform well, although Bristol remains a key hurdle to overcome.
“I’m just thinking about the first race honestly. Gateway, yeah Gateway I think we’re good at when we don’t have brake failures. Bristol is the one if I’m looking at the whole Playoffs, is kind of the question mark. We haven’t had race-winning speed there in a bit. It’s a place we know we got to get better, but yeah, I know I don’t always show up in Martinsville it seems like and perform the level Bubba (Wallace) does but it’s obvious that our Camrys are good when we go to Martinsville. Yeah, when I look at a lot of the tracks that we have on the remainder, they all look good. It’s just Bristol. I’ve got to figure out how to run top 10 there.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Managing the Stress and Frustrations of a Difficult Season
Reddick admitted that the regular season has included its share of frustration and stress, particularly due to the disconnect between the team’s competitive speed and the inconsistent results they have produced. Still, he noted that compared to his rookie Cup season, he has learned to cope better with the pressures of NASCAR’s highest level of competition.
“You know, if I let myself think about it like that, I’m sure I could find reasons as to why it would be. I mean, the results, right. The speed, the capability looks like it’s there but the results – we have found a way to throw some away. Yeah, you know, I think it would be but when you come into the Cup Series as a rookie it’s real easy to just let the weight of everything just crush you. Yeah, it’s not as bad as that to there’s that at least.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Defining Strengths and Weaknesses for the Final Stretch
Reddick singled out impressive speed as the team‘s greatest asset heading into the next ten playoff races, while recognizing that inconsistent execution has been their biggest detriment. This has manifested through crashes, mechanical failures, and struggles to maintain race position, even when leading laps on fast days.
“Our speed is our strength. What’s been our weakness is the execution. We haven’t got the results on those days where we’ve been that fast. Whether that’s DNF or damage and finishing laps down, it seems when you look at this year when we’ve been fast and leading laps, we’ve found a way to not be on the lead lap by the end of it.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Adapting Car Setup and Strategy for the Southern 500
As one of the key races in the playoff schedule, the Southern 500 requires a different approach compared to the spring event due to changing weather and a transition from day to night racing. Reddick praised crew chief Billy Scott’s experience and his own reliance on past data combined with instinct to adjust strategy for this challenging event.
“The weather’s different. The transition from day to night is where you try to really trust your notes, have good notes. My crew chief Billy Scott’s got a lot of experience – done this race many, many times. We’ve done this race a few times together too. You just really try to do your best to trust your instincts but also go off of what you know has happened in the past. Yeah, it seems like over the years spring to fall we’ve been pretty good both times. I’m just looking forward to getting there honestly.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Winning at the Southern 500 would rank highly among Reddick’s career accomplishments, as he has yet to capture a major NASCAR event, despite a notable win on the road course at Indianapolis.
“I guess technically I don’t think I’ve won a major. I won at Indy when we ran the road course there, so I think it’d shoot to the top for sure.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Early Career Inspirations and Reflecting on Racing’s Generational Shift
When recalling his early days in the Cup Series, Reddick said Jimmie Johnson was his on-track hero, although his debut racing experience was marred by an early crash. This injection of realism has shaped his approach to racing and mentorship.
“I think it was Jimmie (Johnson) and then literally 15 minutes later we were wrecking coming to pit road for the first green flag cycle so that was an awful way to start it.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Reddick also reflected on the evolving nature of the sport, noting how younger talents like Connor Zilisch are emerging, and how those he once looked up to are now part of the history and lore that current drivers carry forward. The driver recognizes the responsibility of influencing the next generation positively.
“I feel like those moments are creeping up on me sooner than I want them to. It’s funny you bring this up, Luke Barnes is a part of the pit development group at 23XI, and his father Lanny was my engine tuner. He’s still at ECR. But I remember going racing in the 2 car in the Xfinity Series and Lanny was obviously engine tuning back then more so and his son came to the race track a few times and when I talked to Lanny a couple weeks ago, he’s like, ‘Yeah, my son’s over there now.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, he is.’ Then I’m like, ‘Last time I saw him he was a kid. He was 12 and now he’s 21.’ He’s talking about, ‘Oh yeah, that was so long ago when you won those championships.’ I feel the gray hairs coming. So, yeah, it’s crazy how time moves quick and yeah there’s a kid that I’ll probably meet at the race track that one day might be coming for my job. You never know.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
The Impact of His Racing Roots and the Importance of Role Models
Reddick emphasized the value of his dirt racing background and the competitive environment of his home region, which shaped his driving style and competitive spirit. He considers drivers like Kyle Larson and Bobby Pierce part of a lineage representing some of the toughest racers, which fuels his perseverance.
“I think about where I came from. I came from dirt racing – Kyle (Larson) did as well. I grew up racing Outlaw Karts like he did. I think it is cool that I got to do a lot of learning racing dirt Late Models with Hall of Famers, guys like Bobby Pierce – who is a friend of mine. He is going to be a future Hall of Famer for sure. It is cool to be able to say and represent the ranks of where you came from, so for me, I try to be mindful of that when I have good, bad or indifferent races – I came from some of the toughest dirt racing ranks that you can, and those guys in dirt Late Models are some of the best, smart, intense drivers. I try to be mindful of that and keep up with that as much as I can.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
He also spoke about the challenging racing environments around Cycleland Speedway and other local venues where he honed his skills from a young age, navigating diverse tracks and growing through experience against fierce competition.
“For me, it was Cycleland (Speedway). It was Outlaw Karts. During the winter we got to race at Red Bluff, but just the places that we could go run those Outlaw Karts growing up – we had Cycleland in summer, Red Bluff we would race occasionally; we would go race up at Lakeport. My dad was crazy; he drove all over the place. There was just a lot of really good tracks out there and a lot of really young kids at that time racing in all of the different classes, so I just felt like the blueprint of a go-kart, starting out young with the Briggs Stratton, then getting into the 125, 250, 500 – all of that power in a go-kart with a wing, and running on dirt tracks with cushions and slicked off middle grooves. The level of racing that we were doing in those Outlaw Karts at a young age set us down that path and being able to jump into midgets and Sprint Cars, mini-sprints, late models and be competitive.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Progress and New Opportunities with 23XI and Beyond
Reddick acknowledged his mistakes during earlier parts of his career, particularly at Homestead, but credited moving to Richard Childress Racing as a turning point where he found better focus and results. Looking ahead, he expressed enthusiasm about Homestead becoming the season finale next year.
“I had my own faults for that – I played into it. It wasn’t the best year that I had when I got my head on straight and put together a good stretch, it finally showed what that team was capable of all year long, that first year. When I moved over to RCR (Richard Childress Racing), and started from scratch, if you will, there, I was in a much better place.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Yeah, absolutely.
What Makes Darlington Raceway a Favorite for Reddick
Reddick praised Darlington Raceway for its unique characteristics that distinguish it from modern tracks. Its imperfections—the bumps, waves in the walls, and various track patches—combine to create a challenging layout full of character that demands skill and adaptability.
“Don’t take this the wrong way – I think it is all of its little imperfections that make it perfect. All of the little details and that the wall isn’t just perfectly smoothed out. It has waves in certain spots. The holes, the bumps, the seams, the patches that they’ve had to put in over the years. All of the little things that add up to a really tricky, tough race track to get around. I think – nowadays, all of these tracks are built – they try to have them perfectly flat, smoothed out, and yes, they are great race tracks, but a place like Darlington – it’s been there as long as it has. It has a lot of character. It has a lot of things that a track, if it was built today, wouldn’t have. I think for me, that is what makes it so great.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
He appreciates the flexibility Darlington gives drivers to adjust their racing line when things don’t go perfectly, allowing him to maintain competitive lap times by shifting up the track as needed. This adaptability matches his driving style and comfort level at this historic venue.
“Well, if I miss the bottom, I just try to move up. I just keep moving up until I find competitive lap time and at a place like Darlington, yeah, pretty much after lap two or three, you are pretty much at the top ripping. For me, it is my comfort zone, honestly.”
—Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Driver
Reddick’s Stand on Team Fairness Regarding Legal Issues
When asked whether 23XI Racing feels fairly treated regarding legal matters, Reddick gave a succinct response affirming the team’s position.
Yeah.
Looking Forward: Can Reddick’s Playoff Mindset Deliver Breakthrough Wins?
As the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kick off at Darlington, Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing are determined to leave behind a tumultuous regular season, focusing on resets and executing their full potential. Their strength in speed and improved consistency will be pivotal to competing for victories in each round. Reddick’s experience and reflective approach signal a driver ready to translate lessons learned into results, while the team looks to challenge toughest tracks like Bristol and maintain strong performances elsewhere.
This season’s success will likely hinge on how well Reddick manages execution under pressure and how the team adapts strategies at critical tracks including the Southern 500. Given input from his deep roots in racing and his growing confidence in specific venues, Reddick may be poised to make a meaningful run for the championship, reasserting his presence as a top competitor in NASCAR.
