Getty Kyle Larson had major praise for Tyler Reddick.
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion has dished out some major praise for a fellow driver. Kyle Larson has predicted a breakout season for Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick.
Larson made the prediction during NASCAR Media Day. He explained that Reddick reminds him of himself, albeit a younger version. Larson added that the driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet has had the best car during the Next Gen tests and that he showed his skills during the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
“I feel like when I watch him, I am watching myself just because we are both really aggressive,” Larson said, transcript courtesy of NASCAR Media. “And he seems to be even a little more aggressive and kind of keep things in control better than I could back when I was running really hard in Ganassi equipment trying to run up front. He’s the guy that I look at this year, that I feel like is going to have the breakout season and win a lot of races.”
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NASCAR Cup Series rookie Austin Cindric had similar comments about Reddick. He said that he has been waiting for the two-time Xfinity Series champion to win a Cup race for a long time.
Reddick Showcased Speed During the Busch Light Clash
The driver of the No. 8 kicked off his year with a trip to the Busch Light Clash in Los Angeles, and he showcased speed during the exhibition race. He posted the second-fastest time during qualifying to secure a spot on the front row, and then he led 51 laps during the main event.
While Reddick put on a show early in the Busch Light Clash, his day came to an early end. He broke his transaxle with 97 laps remaining in the exhibition event, ultimately finishing 21st.
Despite failing to finish the race at the LA Memorial Coliseum, Reddick still turned heads with the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro. He created conversations about whether he would be the next first-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series and whether he would return to the playoffs in 2022.
Reddick Will Pursue His First Win at Daytona
Back to work in @DAYTONA. 👊
The driver of the No. 8 has yet to reach Victory Lane in the Cup Series despite boasting three career runner-ups in his first two seasons, including two in 2021. He finished second behind William Byron at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 28 and then second behind Larson at the Charlotte Roval on October 10.
Reddick will now kick off his third full-time season with the Daytona 500 on February 20, and he will start on the eighth row next to Bubba Wallace after finishing eighth in the first of two Bluegreen Vacation Duel races on February 17.
This season-opener will mark only the fourth Daytona 500 start for Reddick, but he has five starts at Daytona International Speedway with one top-five. He finished fifth overall in the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 to clinch his spot in the 16-driver playoff field over teammate Austin Dillon.
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