Reddick Looking To Clinch NASCAR Playoff Spot At The Brickyard
Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet, celebrates with his son, Beau after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2022. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
By Dennis Krause
Tyler Reddick already has a Brickyard weekend win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But to the driver of the No. 45 23XI Toyota, it seems like it was half a lifetime ago that he won the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.
“It feels like it was 10 years ago, but it was three years ago! Yeah, it was a really fun weekend. That year, we were on the road course, so knew were going to be fast and being able to have the speed that we did all weekend long was a huge asset. Being able to throw all the strategy plays together and everything still hold out to get the win was awesome.
“For me, this is the track that, you know unfortunately, I've never been here to watch the Indy 500 growing up or the Brickyard 400 growing up. When I was younger, we were always racing dirt somewhere else, but (it’s) just really a prestigious place and be able to get the job done, kiss the bricks. Yeah, probably one of my favorite victory lane moments.”
“I loved racing the road course,” Reddick added. “That was a lot of fun. The oval here, there's a lot of history tied to it. What makes this place special is just the history of this of this race track. How long it's been here, all the big moments that have happened here. Yeah, for me it's the history.”
Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet, Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford, Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford, and Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 CRAFTSMAN Racing for a Miracle Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2022. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Given that Reddick won three NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024 along with the regular season championship. expectations were high heading into this season. But going into Sunday’s Brickyard 400, Reddick and 23XI Racing are still looking for that first checkered flag.
“Unfortunately, when those opportunities have been there (to win), we haven’t executed,” offered Reddick. “We’ve made a mistake, we've done something along the way that either makes that much more difficult to win or takes (us) out of it. So that's just kind of the name of the game. These races and teams that don't make the mistakes.
“Even this past weekend in Dover, I was extremely strong and made a couple mistakes along the way. That's just that's just kind of how it goes. With how close the cars are and how good the competition is. With how close everything is, those mistakes hurt you so much more. It’s just extremely important to go out there do your job and execute.”
Currently fourth in the Cup Series standings, Reddick appears likely to be one of the 16 drivers that make up the playoff field with five races remaining in the regular season. But when your team owners are Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, it’s about much more than just making the playoffs.
“Honestly for us, making the playoffs is the minimum requirement. This team, the performance we bring to the race track, whether it's our pit crew, our cars or how we strategize the race. For us, yeah, it’s crazy to even think we're worried about just making the playoffs. To be in the playoffs, you have to make it. But for us it's more so about ‘okay, we're in it, great, but we need playoff points, all these things just doesn't necessarily work out, so ultimately, that means that when it does get started, we're just going to have to run you know 20 or 30 spots better than some of the guys that were around each round. We're kind of asking for some help along the way too, and some strong teams making mistakes. So don’t love the spot we’re in for that reason.
“Feel good about making the playoffs, but for me and this team, it's not about just making the playoffs, it’s about going far in the playoffs. It's about making it to the Championship 4 and competing for championships. That's what it's about.”
Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 The Beast Unleashed Toyota, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota, lead the field to start the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 21, 2024. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
A win this weekend would lock Reddick into the playoffs and give him some more valuable playoff points. With the points position he’s currently in, how aggressive will he be in going for the win?
“I wish it was that simple, honestly,” said Reddick.
“It feels like everybody out there, if six, seven cars are happy, the other 30 will be mixing it up regardless. So yeah, I feel like to win this race, you kind of have to push the issues with strategy, you have to be aggressive. I feel like that is something that we really haven't backed down from at all over the course of this year. We saw this play out that way last year. People were being really aggressive on the last stop.
“I think whether you're going to score points or run well in win a race-mentality has to be very similar, which is nice for us. If you want to score points, you have to run up front. If you want to win the race, you have to run up front. I don't feel like it's that complex on our end. We just focus on being quick in practice, qualifying well. I don’t know if flipping stages is going to be something for Sunday, but from the driver’s seat and the crew chiefs’ standpoint, it’s almost straightforward.”
He’s kissed the bricks once before, but Reddick would love to repeat a favorite victory lane moment.
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.