Getty Tyler Reddick waves to fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Tyler Reddick dropped a major announcement prior to heading to New Hampshire by revealing that he would leave Richard Childress Racing after the 2023 Cup Series season to join 23XI Racing. Now he has detailed why he chose this team.
Reddick provided the explanation during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on July 18. He first clarified that the most important thing for him was finishing out his contract with RCR after the team gave him a Cup Series opportunity. Reddick then explained that he chose 23XI Racing after seeing the moves the team has made.
💭 “I thought long term that was the best place for me.” #NASCAR
Earlier today, @TylerReddick told @DanielleTrotta and @LarryMac28 why he chose to join @23XIRacing in 2024, shed light on the timing of the announcement and reiterated his commitment to @RCRracing through 2023.
“Looking into the future, I felt really, really strongly about what 23XI has been doing in their short time in the Cup Series and as a team,” Reddick told Danielle Trotta and Larry McReynolds. “The thing that they’re continuing to do, the people involved, it’s all very exciting.
“And ultimately, yeah, I thought that long-term that was the best place for me and that was really cool to have all of the folks involved over there excited to have me be there as they are.”
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The Recent Progress Turned Heads at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
GettyBubba Wallace (rear) & Tyler Reddick (front) race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The first season at 23XI Racing was an inconsistent campaign. Bubba Wallace won his first career Cup Series race, but he also dealt with a midseason crew chief change while posting an average finish of 19.7.
The second season has told a different story. The two-car team has showcased speed in multiple races, and Kurt Busch scored the team’s second career win during a dominating afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Though Wallace has seen multiple strong runs disrupted by issues on pit road.
The trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17 was the most complete effort for the young team. Both Busch and Wallace qualified inside of the top 10, and they ran near the front of the pack all afternoon while scoring points in all three stages.
Wallace ended the day third overall in what was his best career race from start to finish, and he secured his second top-five finish with DraftKings on the No. 23 Toyota. The first was a fifth-place finish at Pocono Raceway in 2021. Busch, for comparison, finished 10th after making a pit stop in the closing laps and working his way back from one lap down with fresh tires.
Will this progress continue in the remainder of 2022 and throughout 2023? Reddick does not know the answer, but he has faith that the team will only get better with more time in the Cup Series.
Reddick Has Another Focus for 2022 & 2023
The news is out about Reddick, and he will likely face regular questions about his decision in the coming months. However, he will remain focused on something else entirely — winning more races and reaching the championship four as a member of Richard Childress Racing.
Reddick added during his appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the timing of the announcement was partially due to the fact that they haven’t reached the playoffs just yet. The No. 8 team is still in the middle of the regular season, and he has already secured the win that punches his ticket to the playoffs.
“We just showed that we can win as a group, and none of that — for us internally as a group — changes,” Reddick said. “We know we’re winners, we know that we can go do that again. On the other side of it, I didn’t want it to be a speculation for a long period of time. I wanted it to be out there in front of everybody.”
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Tyler Reddick Opens up on Decision to Choose 23XI Racing