23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick started the regular NASCAR Cup Series season strong, and it even looked like he was teetering on the edge of standing out as the No. 1 seed. This was especially evident after his season-opening win at Daytona, but he’s found himself trying to maintain a steady balance over the past several weeks as the playoff picture tightened.
Over 26 races in the regular season, Reddick proved three things: he knows how to stay on consistent speed, stay competitive during the final stretch of the race, and keep his head above the cutline for the playoff grid. He spent much of his track time adjusting his qualifying strategy, long-run balance, and momentum from stage to stage.
This season, he’s definitely shown a much stronger pace at the beginning of each race, which gives him an advantage in race flow and strategy. Today’s first postseason race at Darlington Raceway adds another layer to that. Weather interrupted qualifying, setting the lineup by metrics and placing Reddick on the pole. Though he didn’t earn it traditionally through speed, he still had the advantage over the rest of the field with cleaner air and track position.
Once the green flag dropped, signaling the start of the race, it was easy for Reddick to settle into a comfortable rhythm pretty quickly and lead a significant portion of the race at a track notorious for chewing through tires and punishing the slightest mistake. He was patient. The strategy was methodical and well-calculated, which ultimately led to his sweep of the race’s first stage, followed by Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Ryan Blaney to round out the top-five. Briscoe, Preece, Cindric, Byron, and Gibbs rounded out the top ten.
Even so, Reddick faced his biggest challenge yet when team owner Denny Hamlin threatened to control the entire afternoon. Hamlin has a history at Darlington, and when he moved out front at Lap 30, it was almost as if we were about to see history repeat itself, but the No. 45 never wavered even through the falloff. Reddick waited for the moment when the 23XI Racing Toyota had just enough balance to reclaim the lead, and he closed in through turns 3 and 4.
Other drivers on the track, however, didn’t have the same luck. Daniel Suárez, who displayed a strong short-run pace, fell out of the top 10 into P17 once competition caution was called at Lap 35. The caution allowed teams to assess tires and car setups and make any needed adjustments, which is crucial at a track like Darlington, known for its tire degradation. Yet despite this, Suárez was pushed to the back of the field and finished Stage 1 in P26.
The first green-flag pit cycle began on Lap 71, when Chase drivers Bell, Blaney, Cindric, and Joey Logano came down pit road for service. Hamlin and Reddick followed two laps later, little changed, as Hamlin returned to the track ahead of Reddick. The cycle wrapped up on Lap 80, putting Hamlin back out front. Reddick, however, didn’t let that gap grow.
By Lap 94, he had regained the lead and held it until a Lap 107 caution ended the stage after Carson Hocevar and Brad Keselowski made brief contact in the middle, sending the RFK Racing driver spinning up Turn 4. As the race moves towards the final stages, pressure is beginning to build. Track position, tire wear, and clean execution will become even more important when the field makes its final push.
Reddick remains firmly inside the lead group, keeping the No. 45 Toyota in contention as the postseason opener continues to unfold. For 23XI Racing, the goal remains simple: protect track position, avoid mistakes, and capitalize on the next opportunity. At Darlington, the margin for error is razor-thin, and so far, Reddick has done his part to stay on the right side of it.
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