How 23XI’s latest win was a win for all of NASCAR

Michael Jordan stood among the crowd in Tyler Reddick’s pit box cheering, fist-pumping and high-fiving those around him. At one point he took hold of Reddick’s son, Beau, and asked the youngster if he was going to celebrate, and in victory lane, …

Michael Jordan stood among the crowd in Tyler Reddick’s pit box cheering, fist-pumping and high-fiving those around him. At one point he took hold of Reddick’s son, Beau, and asked the youngster if he was going to celebrate, and in victory lane, Jordan gave a rare television interview to Fox Sports.

Sunday was not the first time Jordan, the co-owner of 23XI Racing, was at a NASCAR race. He has sat atop the pit box many times and has been to more races than many folks realize, but he tries to stay as under the radar as a 6’ 6” legend, recognized the world over, can stay.

But there was no hiding after Reddick’s dramatic victory in the final run to the finish in the GEICO 500 when the leader crashed in front of him. Reddick kept his foot to the floor, missed the spinning Michael McDowell, and surged past Brad Keselowski to be the first one to the finish line.

It was the sixth victory for 23XI Racing, which is in its fourth season. However, it was the first time Jordan was in attendance for a victory. And it didn’t take long for all those aforementioned celebratory moments Jordan participated in to start making the rounds on social media and television.

23XI Racing won the race. NASCAR won the day.

Jordan’s interview with Jamie Little of Fox Sports has been viewed over 33,000 times on NASCAR’s official YouTube page. The same interview had another 28,000 views on the NASCAR on Fox YouTube page. Pardon the Interruption on ESPN, which features two of the most well-known and respected voices in sports media, spent time showing highlights of the Talladega race and discussing seeing Jordan celebrate with his team.

Jordan is very much hands-on as an owner. James Gilbert/Getty Images/NASCAR Media

A quick Google search of “Michael Jordan” under the News tab will show that Sports Illustrated, the Chicago Sun-Times, Fox News, Front Office Sports, Daily Mail Online and Sports Business Journal (just to name a few) all had content about Jordan being at Talladega. A search of “Michael Jordan” on X (formerly Twitter) also produces plenty of mentions and videos of him from Sunday afternoon.

Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson reposted a NASCAR tweet and congratulated his “good friend” and 23XI Racing on the victory. Johnson has 5.2 million followers.

“23XI is very important to this sport, absolutely. If we could get everyone to see that as much as we do,” Denny Hamlin laughed about Jordan’s presence at Talladega bringing attention to the sport. “It is – it’s good for everything you can imagine. You’re talking sponsorship, your manufacturers, your team morale. It’s just so good, and it is in so many different ways.

“Certainly, you’d like to have more of these opportunities happen more and more often because they’re all of equal importance, and they all make you feel just as good. So, you definitely want to savor them.”

Within the industry, a lot of focus in recent weeks has been on the short-track package, disappearing scoring pylons and saving fuel on superspeedways. All three of those topics haven’t necessarily been positive.

But to a larger audience, one of the sporting world’s most recognizable figures – who sometimes is simply referred to as the GOAT – was seen celebrating a win and talking about how much he loves NASCAR. There is no denying the eyeballs such a thing draws and how that is a good thing for the sport.

The greatest part of it all is how genuine it was from Jordan. A lifelong NASCAR fan who has attended races in the past, Jordan’s friendship with Hamlin led to one of the most surprising ownership partnerships in the garage. And don’t be fooled, Jordan is actively involved in the race team and is well aware of everything that goes on. 23XI Racing wasn’t something that looked good for Jordan to have in his portfolio.

“That’s just pretty cool,” Billy Scott, Tyler Reddick’s crew chief, said of having Jordan finally see a win in person. “An honor that we got the first win with him being here, and I’m glad he was able to be here for one and doesn’t think it’s a curse to come or something because there’s certainly been some (races) go the other way.

“Just to see his excitement, it’s interesting. He is a study of the sport. I was talking to him before the race, and he watches every Truck race, every Xfinity race, every Cup race just trying to learn and understand what we’re going through and figure out how he can help from the owner’s side. It’s impressive and just to see the excitement on his face that’s what I enjoyed.”

The fruits of winning a NASCAR race – money, attention, ROI, postseason implications, etc. – go a long way for a race team, and 23XI Racing will be enjoying those for a while to come. But the immediate aftermath, meaning the news cycle of the week, is going to be just as kind to NASCAR.

Michael Jordan talks about 23XI Racing’s big win at Talladega in 2024

Michael Jordan talks about 23XI Racing’s big win at Talladega Superspeedway in 2024. Find out what Jordan said about the victory!

[autotag]Michael Jordan[/autotag] hasn’t been in attendance to see a [autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] driver win since he started the team with Denny Hamlin in 2021. However, that changed on Sunday afternoon when Tyler Reddick snuck by Brad Keselowski to win the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Jordan celebrated and carried Reddick’s son to victory lane to greet him.

Following the victory, Jordan spoke to the FOX Sports broadcast about the victory. The NBA legend talked about what Hamlin has told him about being at the track and living through his drivers and team members.

“[Denny Hamlin] keeps saying I was bad luck when I come to the track, and today we proved him wrong,” Jordan said. “I’m very happy to be here to see it. Everybody tells me when we win we can have a good celebration, but this is the first time I’ve been here.”

“To me, this is like an NBA playoff game. For [23XI Racing] to win a big race like this, it means so much to me. I’m all in. I love it. It replaces a lot of the competitiveness that I had in basketball. But this is even worse, because I have no control. If I was playing basketball, I’d have total control. But I have no control, so I live vicariously through the drivers, crew chiefs, and everybody.”

Jordan is great for NASCAR, and it’s fantastic to see how involved he has been with 23XI Racing over the years. Now, the six-time NBA champion can finally celebrate a victory for his race team as an owner at Talladega. Jordan was thrilled to finally reach victory lane, and that feeling could bring him to even more races in the future.

[lawrence-related id=516]

Reddick drives through big trouble to win at Talladega

Tyler Reddick prevailed in a typically-frantic Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway run to the checkered flag Sunday in the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race, narrowly avoiding a multi-car crash in the closing 400 yards – coming from third place out of …

Tyler Reddick prevailed in a typically-frantic Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway run to the checkered flag Sunday in the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race, narrowly avoiding a multi-car crash in the closing 400 yards – coming from third place out of Turn 4, to earn the win by a slight 0.208s when race leader Michael McDowell crashed trying to block competitors approaching the finish line; McDowell’s move slowing the bottom line and allowing Reddick in the high lane to motor through to his first victory of the year and sixth of his career.

So pumped to claim this win, the 28-year old Californian climbed the grandstand fence, pumping his fist to the screaming, adoring crowd while one of his 23XI Racing team owners, NBA legend Michael Jordan celebrated on pit lane, taking Reddick’s young son Beau in his arms and grinning from ear-to-ear. This was the first time Jordan had been at track when his team won a race.

 

“Man, it’s incredible,’’ said Reddick, who led 13 laps on the afternoon. “Everyone on this No. 45 Toyota Camry worked really hard today. Didn’t really work out in that third stage for us, but we were able to fight and defend our track position.

“Was that crazy guys?’’ he yelled toward the cheering grandstands. “A lot of chaos. That’s Talladega for you.’’

“I just have to give a lot of credit to Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex, it was just us Toyotas left and they pushed me with everything they had. Without Martin and Ty and those pushes we don’t win this race.’’

The final few laps pitted a low line of Fords – the manufacturer trying to earn its first win of 2024 – and a high line led by the Toyotas. McDowell, the 2021 Daytona 500 winner anticipated a huge run from the cars behind, but conceded later that he was just a little late making the block.

The contact when he pulled down to Roush Fenway Keselowski driver Brad Keselowski sent McDowell’s car off track. Keselowski was still able to recover and finish second – his second straight runner-up finish this season. Afterward, McDowell apologized to Keselowski for essentially costing the former series champion a win with the move.

“We did a good job keeping those Mustang Dark Horses up front,’’ said McDowell, who led a race best 36 laps. “He [Keselowski] did everything right. He pushed me. I was able to get in front of him the first time but when I came back down I barely wasn’t clear. I’ll have to watch the replay. I hate it. I hate it we didn’t make it to the finish line. We had such a fast mustang today. … just came up short and took a lot of guys out and I apologize.’’

The race ending was in stark contrast to the early portion of the event. For the first time since NASCAR instituted “stage racing” in 2017 there were no caution periods through the opening two stages (other than the scheduled stage breaks).

McDowell won the pole position and as promised all weekend, was set to race strategically not forcing his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford to the front all day but instead when it needed to be there. There was a lot of hope that Ford would secure its first win of the year Sunday and two of the Mustangs – driven by Austin Cindric (Stage 1) and Joey Logano (Stage 2) – swept the stage victories early in the race.

But as is so often the case, a late race restart — with 27 laps remaining — set the tone for the finish with McDowell leading the bottom line and Fords stacked up behind him. Reddick led the high line with Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. behind him. McDowell and Reddick exchanged the lead 10 times in that final 27-lap stretch to the trophy – indicative of a day when there were 23 race leaders and 73 lead changes, including New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen’s first NASCAR Cup Series laps out front on an oval (three laps).

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

It was an exhaustive and exhilarating afternoon depending on what side of the finishing order you came out on. All the drivers – including several collected in the multi-car race ending crash – confirmed they were okay.

“Well, [team co-owner] Denny [Hamlin] keeps saying I’m bad luck,’’ Jordan said, ”And today we proved him wrong.

“The whole team did a good job,’’ he continued. “I’m very happy to be here to see it. Everybody always tells me when we win we have a good celebration but this is the first time I’ve been here [for a win].

“As you know this is NBA playoffs right now and to me, this is like an NBA playoff game. I am so ecstatic for the fans who support the sport itself. You know we’ve been working hard trying to get ourselves to compete against all the top guys in this sport, and we’ve done a heckuva job just to be where we are and for us to win and win a big race like this it means so much to me and effort the team has put in.

“I’m all in. It replaces a lot of competitiveness I had in basketball, but this is even worse because I have no control. If I was playing basketball, I’d have total control, but I have no control and live vicariously through the drivers and crew chiefs. I’m very happy for 23XI – 110 percent.’’

Hamlin, who finished 37th after being collected in a crash, smiled upon hearing Jordan’s elation and Beau Reddicks’ cool celebration with the legend.

“Beau has no idea of the significance of that moment,” Hamlin said.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Noah Gragson finished a career best third, followed by JTG Daugherty’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman.

Anthony Alfredo, who led four laps, finished a career best sixth place for Beard Motorsports. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron was seventh, followed by Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland, Spire Motorsports’ Justin Haley and the Wood Brothers’ Harrison Burton.

Despite a 20th place finish Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson leads the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings by 16 points over Truex, who was 11th Sunday.

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s Wurth 400 (2 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Truex is the defending race winner.

RESULTS

Wallace sees worthy result from strong Martinsville performance

Bubba Wallace had a question and kept asking those around him until he got an answer. “Where’d he finish?” Wallace asked of teammate Tyler Reddick while doing his required top five media obligations on pit road Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. “Was …

Bubba Wallace had a question and kept asking those around him until he got an answer.

“Where’d he finish?” Wallace asked of teammate Tyler Reddick while doing his required top five media obligations on pit road Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. “Was he [in the] top 10?”

Wallace, who finished fourth, then turned to his 23XI Racing public relations representative and asked the same question. The answer finally came: Reddick had finished seventh.

“Oh, wow. Proud of the little buddy,” Wallace playfully said. “I didn’t see him all day.”

The amusing exchange resulted from Wallace acknowledging that 23XI Racing performs well on short tracks but doesn’t have many results to reflect those performances. Sunday was Wallace’s best finish in the NASCAR Cup Series at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway in his 13 tries. Furthermore, it was his first top-five finish at Martinsville and just his third top-10.

“We do a lot of things that hurt our results, there’s no doubt about it,” Wallace said. “But we’re all taking big self-reflection [moments] over the last couple of months and being like, ‘Hey, let’s get our stuff together.’ And we know what we’re capable of. It’s days like this. I’ll continue to take top four finishes because eventually, your name will be thrown in the winner’s circle.”

The result came from a different feel Wallace had searched for in previous Martinsville Speedway races. He and the No. 45 team were contenders from the first on-track activity when he was second fastest overall in practice before qualifying second (after losing the pole to Kyle Larson by 0.001s).

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

“A lot to build off, a lot to learn, a lot to debrief with the team,” Wallace said. “If we came back tomorrow, we’d be even better. But I appreciate everybody on this No. 23 team. The McDonald’s Toyota Camry was really, really good.

“It was a great showing here at Martinsville; I love this place and got to keep it going.”

Wallace had an average running position of fourth Sunday afternoon. He ran as high as second, but it was either second or third place that ended up being the ceiling. No matter how hard he ran or how close he got, even on the back bumper of Denny Hamlin at the end of the first stage, Wallace never cracked the threshold into the race lead.

“I know, I know,” he said with amusement. “I was trying so hard. I’d get to the leader’s back bumper too late in both stages. Hey that’s just something for us to continue to work on and be better.”

Wallace finished second in both stages. The race’s final caution with three laps to go was a turn of fortune for the No. 23, which was running sixth at the time. By choosing to restart as the third driver on the inside lane, Wallace was fifth for the final two laps, which he maintained.

“We had speed,” he said. “We had a lot of speed and it was fun to run up front and figure out what we needed to be better. I thought we were really good on the long run, but we got behind too early on the last stop and that just kind of set us apart. So, all in all, to come out top five was really good for us.”

23XI Racing interested in expansion in NASCAR Cup Series for 2025

23XI Racing is interested in expansion in the NASCAR Cup Series amid rumors that Stewart-Haas Racing could sell charters before 2025.

Since its debut in 2021, [autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] has become one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ most polarizing and successful organizations. The NASCAR team has Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick as its drivers and previously employed Kurt Busch before his concussion in 2022. However, 23XI Racing isn’t satisfied with two entries, as rumors of a possibly third charter persist.

According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, 23XI Racing is one of four teams that are said to be interested in expanding in the Cup Series, with Stewart-Haas Racing’s future in doubt. The NASCAR organization would be a good spot for Toyota drivers in the lower ranks looking to make the jump, such as Corey Heim or Chandler Smith.

23XI Racing team owner Denny Hamlin has been vocal about the charter market and negotiations, so nothing may happen until that is sorted out. However, Hamlin would welcome a third entry, and the No. 50 car has already made one start in 2024. NASCAR would benefit from another 23XI Racing entry, but it will have stiff competition from other owners.

[lawrence-related id=9542]

Wallace sees upcoming NASCAR races as a chance for a season reset

Bubba Wallace is as aware as anyone in the Toyota Racing camp that the stretch of races in the NASCAR Cup Series lays out perfectly over the next month. Given that, the agenda is simple: don’t fumble. “We’re all hyper-sensitive about where we’re …

Bubba Wallace is as aware as anyone in the Toyota Racing camp that the stretch of races in the NASCAR Cup Series lays out perfectly over the next month.

Given that, the agenda is simple: don’t fumble.

“We’re all hyper-sensitive about where we’re at,” Wallace said at Richmond Raceway about his 23XI Racing team.

Richmond’s Toyota Owners 400 (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, FOX) is the first stop where a Toyota driver has pulled into victory lane in five of the last 10 races. Wallace led 80 laps at Richmond Raceway in the summer race last season.

Sitting 18th in the championship standings, Wallace has two top-10 finishes with 21 laps led. He’s earned just 12 stage points. The sluggish start Wallace, crew chief Bootie Barker and the No. 23 team have had is another reason the stretch ahead sets up well and is all the more critical.

“After race four, we were having a come-to-Jesus meeting,” Wallace said. “I don’t care that it’s early (in the year). It’s the same start that I’ve always had, and I said I didn’t want that. So, we’re looking to turn it around.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

Wallace initiated the meeting. The season had started with back-to-back fifth-place finishes before a stuck lug nut in Las Vegas cost Wallace multiple laps and resulted in a 35th-place finish. It was a 16th-place result at Phoenix Raceway. A flat tire cost the team at Bristol Motor Speedway (29th).

“We had two, three races where stuff would happen, and we’re finishing last or wherever,” Wallace said. “So, we have to get our stuff together. I just set the tone (with the meeting).”

Martinsville Speedway (April 7), Texas Motor Speedway (April 14), Talladega Superspeedway (April 21), Dover Motor Speedway (April 28), and Kansas Speedway (May 5) take the series toward summer. Wallace won the pole, led 111 laps, and finished third at Texas last season. It was a race that got away when Wallace gave up control on a late-race restart. He is a former winner at Talladega and Kansas.

There has been a mix of races through the first six races. Wallace for a stretch of oval racing.

“I’m excited,” he said. “We’ll be good.”

It starts with Richmond, where Wallace qualified fifth.

“Denny [Hamlin] said the next five weeks there is no reason why Toyota shouldn’t be in victory lane, so make sure it’s one of ours,” Wallace said. “So that’s enough motivation to go out and get the job done. We learned a lot here in the fall; got behind on a little bit of strategy, but I think it’s a new opportunity for us.

“We’re really invested (in) what we need to do for this weekend.”

DoorDash ends relationship with 23XI Racing in NASCAR Cup Series

DoorDash has reportedly ended its relationship with Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

[autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] has lost one of its core partners from the 2021 NASCAR season. According to the Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, DoorDash has left its NASCAR deal and will no longer sponsor Bubba Wallace or 23XI Racing moving forward. This comes after DoorDash was a prominent sponsor of the No. 23 car in 2021.

The company slowly decreased its commitment to races until it fully backed out last year. Race fans have noticed this, as DoorDash has rarely sponsored Wallace’s No. 23 car over the previous year. This issue has been faced by all NASCAR teams, including Joe Gibbs Racing with Mars’ departure and FedEx’s decreased involvement with Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing, understands that NASCAR’s financial model must change for teams to make a profit and have sustainable partners. NASCAR organizations depend heavily on sponsors, and DoorDash’s departure doesn’t help the cause. Sure, this was a gradual and expected parting of the ways, but one that shows the sport’s current system.

[lawrence-related id=9542]

Bubba Wallace to run new U.S. Air Force paint scheme at Phoenix

Bubba Wallace will run his new U.S. Air Force paint scheme at Phoenix Raceway. Take a look at Wallace’s new scheme for his No. 23 car!

[autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] announced during the offseason that [autotag]Bubba Wallace[/autotag] would be sponsored by the U.S. Air Force in 2024. It was a reunion for Wallace, who was sponsored by the Air Force during his time in the No. 43 car for Richard Petty Motorsports. On Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, Wallace will carry the U.S. Air Force on a new paint scheme revealed by 23XI Racing.

The No. 23 car has a gray and blue base, which blends well with the Air Force logo on the hood. Overall, Wallace’s ride for Phoenix Raceway looks very sharp as 23XI Racing continues to release fantastic paint schemes for their drivers. The U.S. Air Force will sponsor Wallace at multiple races in 2024, including Phoenix.

The U.S. Air Force hopes Wallace will make them proud on Sunday as Phoenix Raceway is not among his best tracks. In the four Phoenix races with the NextGen car, Wallace has a best finish of 10th place and only two top-20 finishes. The good thing is that Wallace has improved in every race, and 23XI Racing hopes that improvement takes them to victory lane.

[lawrence-related id=8225]

23XI Racing reveals Tyler Reddick’s Mobil 1 paint scheme for 2024

23XI Racing reveals Tyler Reddick’s new Mobil 1 paint scheme for the 2024 NASCAR season. Check out Reddick’s new look for his No. 45 car!

[autotag]Tyler Reddick[/autotag] and [autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] were so close to winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. Reddick closed the gap to Kyle Larson but could not pass him in the closing laps. It was a disappointing ending for 23XI Racing, but it provided optimism. However, Reddick didn’t lose off the race track with a new paint scheme reveal.

On Wednesday morning, 23XI Racing revealed Reddick’s new Mobil 1 paint scheme for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway. The No. 45 car is sharp and doesn’t have too much going on with the design. Sometimes, simplicity is good, and on this occasion, the simplistic design gives Reddick a very sharp look.

Reddick, Mobil 1, and 23XI Racing hope the No. 45 car finishes one position higher at Phoenix this weekend. It was an excellent run for Reddick at Las Vegas, but the organization’s expectations are high entering the 2024 season. Reddick and 23XI Racing have the speed to make it happen, as Mobil 1 hopes to be in victory lane.

[lawrence-related id=8180]

‘I don’t like running second’ Reddick says after Vegas defeat

Tyler Reddick felt evenly matched with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but he needed Larson to be the one in dirty air. Reddick’s 23XI Racing Toyota Camry was fast enough to chase Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet down over the …

Tyler Reddick felt evenly matched with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but he needed Larson to be the one in dirty air.

Reddick’s 23XI Racing Toyota Camry was fast enough to chase Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet down over the final 10 laps, but he couldn’t do anything with him. Larson air-blocked Reddick and took away the options Reddick had to try to make a pass for victory in the Pennzoil 400.

“We were pretty evenly matched, so I don’t know if there was anything that I really could’ve done to get around him,” Reddick said Sunday after finishing second. “He would have had to make a big mistake or had some traffic kind of knock his wind around. I needed some fortune; I didn’t make any for myself today with mistakes on pit road.

“It’s a solid effort for our team. That’s how we need to run, but I don’t like running second.”

Reddick was over 1s behind Larson with 18 laps to go. He cut the gap to 0.5s with 13 laps to go and was on Larson’s bumper with three laps to go. Over the final laps, Reddick tried different lanes through the corners, hoping to stay out of Larson’s wake. Reddick mostly ran the high lane while Larson kept to the bottom or the middle.

The strategy of knowing he couldn’t follow Larson into a corner got Reddick to his back bumper, but then he could only follow Larson for the final two laps and even gave up trying to go to the high lane. Reddick said Larson took away all of his options.

“Sorry, guys,” a frustrated Reddick said over his team radio after the checkered flag. “We should have won that [expletive] race.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

He was also frustrated by pit road. After finishing the first stage in second position to Larson, Reddick lost all of his track position (falling to 16th place) when he slid the front tires entering his pit stall, and the car angled to the left. It was an awkward position to try to exit his stall, and he needed to back up and straighten out before leaving pit road.

“I feel like we were never up front really all day long until it got to the stage ends,” Reddick said. “We had a really good Nasty Beast Toyota Camry. Just stupid mistakes on pit road. Same [expletive], different year. Kind of frustrating. We’ll continue to work on it, but a good rebound for our team today.”

Reddick finished second in both stages and the race. He started from the 18th position.

A caution in the final stage aided the rebound. Reddick closed the gap to 0.5s behind Larson with the drafting help of lapped teammate Bubba Wallace before a round of green flag pit stops with less than 60 laps to go. But Reddick cycled out over 2s behind Larson and was 1.5s behind when the final caution flew with 33 laps to go.

Reddick came off pit road third and lined up behind the No. 5 on the inside lane for the restart. When his initial charge to the inside was blocked by Larson going into Turn 1, Reddick settled into third position before making his way around Ross Chastain for second place with 21 laps to go to be able to focus on chasing Larson for the victory.

“Second sucks, that’s for sure, but we had a really fast Nasty Beast Toyota Camry,” Reddick said. “We should have been up there battling even more than we were throughout the day; just put us behind, unfortunately. We had to fight back through that all day [and] as the field got better, it got harder to get back to the front as quick.

“You have to run up front all day long and when asked about what we need to do to get better, that’s the very thing, and didn’t do it today.”

When asked when the sting would wear off, Reddick said, “It won’t.”