Tyler Reddick Exits Martinsville Race After Health Concerns

A surprising development occurred during the Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway on October 30. Tyler Reddick took his car to the garage after dealing with health concerns.

Reddick took the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro to the garage midway through Stage 2. He didn’t appear to have major damage to the stock car, so there were questions about a potential mechanical issue. However, Reddick said over the radio that he hadn’t felt right and that his head hurt.

Reddick spoke to team owner Richard Childress before climbing onto the golf cart and heading to the infield care center. He underwent evaluation, and he was released. This would normally be when he spoke to the NBC Sports reporters and other media members. However, Reddick declined the interview before leaving the track with a 36th-place finish.

---

Some More Details Surfaced After Reddick’s Exit

There were numerous questions about Reddick’s exit from the race, as well as his overall health. He did not provide any details after exiting the infield care center, but one of the Richard Childress Racing team members added some context.

The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi spoke to someone from Richard Childress Racing, who said that Reddick had not felt right all week due to a crash at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The team member added that Reddick had rear-ended someone during the race at Martinsville Speedway, which made him feel worse.

The wreck at Homestead-Miami Speedway occurred with 23 laps remaining in the Dixie Vodka 400. The cameras focused on Martin Truex Jr., but they quickly shifted to show Reddick’s destroyed stock car.

The replay showed that Reddick ran right up against the wall in Turn 9. He then spun to the inside and slid across the track. The No. 8 slammed nose-first into the SAFER Barrier before rebounding and coming to a stop.

Reddick was able to climb from the stock car under his own power. The AMR Safety Crew then transported him to the infield care center where he was evaluated and released.

---

Questions Remain About Reddick’s Availability

Reddick was cleared at the infield care center, but that did not bring an end to the discussion. There will still be questions about his availability for the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, especially after RCR noted during the race that he will undergo another evaluation in the coming days.

There are two drivers that have missed multiple weeks after crashes. Kurt Busch has not returned to 23XI Racing in a driving capacity since a crash during qualifying at Pocono Raceway on July 23. He also announced that he will step away from a full-time role as he focuses on his health.

Alex Bowman, for comparison, crashed during the playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway on  September 25. He has since missed races at Talladega Superspeedway, the Charlotte Roval, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway. Though he received clearance to return to the No. 48 at Phoenix Raceway.

There has been no official indication that Reddick suffered a concussion at Homestead-Miami Speedway or Martinsville Speedway. However, his comments about his head hurting create obvious concerns heading toward the final week of the season.

0 Comments