Tyler Reddick faces mounting pressure as he heads into the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, a crucial race in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff quest. With limited chances left to secure a spot in the Round of 8, Reddick sees the 1.5-mile Kansas oval as his best opportunity to make significant progress toward advancing in the championship.
Currently behind the playoff cutline, Reddick has two remaining races to improve his standing: Sunday’s event in Kansas and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL race next weekend. While winning either race isn’t mandatory to move forward, the Kansas race offers his clearest shot at Victory Lane. A strong result there is essential to maintaining momentum before tackling the challenging road course at Charlotte, where non-playoff driver Shane van Gisbergen is favored to take the win.
Reddick Opens Up About Pressure Heading Into Kansas
Tyler Reddick recognizes the urgency of his situation, sitting 11th out of the 12 drivers still in the playoffs and trailing the cutline by 23 points. Speaking on Saturday before the race, Reddick admitted to feeling anxious about his performance chances at Kansas Speedway.
“We had a stretch here (at Kansas) where it was a 23XI Toyota or a Toyota car in general. (Toyota) had a pretty good record here to be able to win races. The last two or three times we’ve been here, we’ve been missing a little bit of something,”
Reddick said during media availability, revealing his concern about recent results.
Reddick has previously triumphed at Kansas, capturing a victory in the fall of 2023. However, since that win, his finishes at the track have not exceeded 17th place across three outings. Meanwhile, Toyota’s dominance at Kansas has diminished, as Chevrolet has secured the last three Cup Series victories there. Prior to that, Toyota won seven of nine races at Kansas between 2019 and 2023.
Reddick also expressed how technical changes add complexity to his team’s challenge at Kansas.
“The car changes, the Goodyear tires change. So, naturally, you’ve got to keep up with it,”
he noted after qualifying 12th.
“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.”
Recent Struggles at New Hampshire Impact Playoff Standings
The difficult task Reddick faces at Kansas stems partly from the poor results suffered in last weekend’s Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Both Reddick and his 23XI Racing teammate, Bubba Wallace, struggled to deliver strong finishes in their Toyotas, owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
Reddick finished 21st, while Wallace came in 26th, pushing both drivers down in the points standings and jeopardizing their championship ambitions. Wallace now sits last among playoff contenders, trailing Reddick by four points.
The disappointing weekend at New Hampshire has spurred the 23XI Racing team to redouble their efforts as they prepare for Kansas.
“Everyone has had their head down, for sure,”
Reddick acknowledged.
“It was a tough week. I think we all know we got our asses kicked pretty good at Loudon. And I feel like it’s motivated everyone properly.”
“It’s easy to be down. But we have two opportunities to either win or score a lot of points.”
What’s at Stake for Reddick After Kansas?
Sunday’s race at Kansas could define the remainder of Tyler Reddick’s playoff journey. While he does not absolutely need a win to advance, capturing a top-five finish or gathering substantial points is crucial to staying competitive. His performance on this familiar 1.5-mile oval track will influence his confidence and strategy heading into the final Round of 12 race at Charlotte’s ROVAL, where road-course specialist Shane van Gisbergen is expected to challenge for the victory.
For Reddick and the 23XI Racing team, the weekend at Kansas represents not only a chance to turn around recent misfortunes but also an opportunity to reclaim the winning form that brought them success at this track before. The outcome will have important consequences for the NASCAR playoffs as the drivers push to survive the elimination round and pursue the championship.
The move that scored Tyler Reddick the win in overtime at Kansas Speedway pic.twitter.com/QXGcExVBXS
— Jay W. Pennell (@jaywpennell) September 10, 2023
