Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing poured everything they had into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series championship race in Phoenix. Despite the team’s best efforts, Reddick came up short, finishing sixth and unable to match the blistering pace of title contenders Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron.
The No. 45 Toyota struggled to find speed all weekend, from a tough Friday practice to nearly missing the cut in Saturday’s qualifying. Reddick and his team worked relentlessly, making adjustments to improve the car throughout the race. Yet, as Reddick pushed to keep up with his rivals, he could only stay close for so long before they gradually pulled away.
“I thought we had something in Stage 2 when we got behind the No. 24 [Byron], No. 22 [Logano], and No. 12 [Blaney],” Reddick recalled. “I tried to make a move on William, but it didn’t stick, and they just steadily pulled away.”
Though Reddick and his crew made all the right calls, keeping up on pit road and avoiding mistakes, they couldn’t close the gap in speed. “We fought as hard as we could. We made the car better throughout the day and maintained on pit road,” Reddick said. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t have the speed or restarts needed to hold those guys up and really put up a fight at the end.”
While the outcome didn’t match Reddick’s aspirations, he values the experience gained from his first championship battle. “It was a fun process, getting ready for this,” he shared. “Our mindset as a team was strong, and I thought we were where we needed to be. We just need to dig deeper and bring a faster Camry when we come back in the spring.”
Looking ahead to the off-season, Reddick is focused on improvement. “In the car, you keep telling yourself, ‘Anything can happen — stay ready.’ But now, as the year wraps up, it’s time to re-gather, reset, and work on what we need to be better for 2025.”
With the experience of a championship fight under his belt, Reddick and 23XI Racing have their sights set on returning stronger and faster for next season, ready to challenge for the title once again.
