23XI Racing is reportedly talking to a rising NASCAR star about a seat in the Cup Series as the organization remains linked to Ford.
[autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] has become the main focus of NASCAR silly season and no one could have expected it to reach this point. It was reported over the weekend that Ford had a meeting with the organization at Michigan International Speedway when the sport was in town. This comes as 23XI Racing continues to negotiate with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing.
Now, there are even more rumblings about a potential switch to Ford as the race team is reportedly talking to a rising NASCAR star. According to Catchfence’s Lee Spencer on PRN, 23XI Racing is talking to Front Row Motorsports driver Zane Smith about a potential seat for the 2024 season. Smith, the defending NASCAR Truck Series champion, won’t be joining current race team, Front Row Motorsports, in the Cup Series next year.
23XI Racing would need a third charter for the 2024 season if its driver lineup stayed the same in this scenario. As of now, the charter market is reportedly around a big mark of $40-50 million. That would be a hard buy for 23XI Racing owner Denny Hamlin; however, it all depends on whether the organization stays with Toyota or not.
23XI Racing has been linked to meetings with Ford as the organization’s negotiations with Toyota continue for the 2024 NASCAR season.
[autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] was formed by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan with the obvious choice of Toyota backing the organization. Since Hamlin drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, the idea of 23XI Racing driving under a Chevrolet or Ford banner made no sense. It was an easy decision and one that has paid off with four NASCAR Cup Series victories.
However, nothing has been easy with the current negotiations involving Hamlin, 23XI Racing, and Toyota. While the driver of the No. 11 car would like to come back to Joe Gibbs Racing, the status of his NASCAR organization is up in the air as well. The organization’s contract with Toyota is expiring with no deal in place yet. In fact, it appears a switch to a different manufacturer should not be ruled out.
According to Catchfence’s Chris Knight, multiple sources on his end have mentioned meetings that have taken place between 23XI Racing representatives and Ford. This would be a major move for the race team as it directly impacts Hamlin’s status at Joe Gibbs Racing as well.
RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE TYLER REDDICK ON HIS NASCAR CUP SERIES WIN AT COTA!
If Hamlin were to move 23XI Racing to Ford, would this mean the end of his partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing? A realistic move in this scenario could be swapping Hamlin and Tyler Reddick so Toyota can keep the latter in the camp. Then, it would allow 23XI Racing to keep going with two charters as the current market is way too high for owners.
It remains to be seen if 23XI Racing and Hamlin remain at Toyota but one thing is clear. The possibility of an alliance with Ford cannot be ruled out and maybe, it is more reasonable than it seems right now.
On any other Sunday, a 12th place finish would not be categorized as “really good” by Bubba Wallace. But when the result comes at a road course and keeps him in contention for his first NASCAR Cup Series postseason berth, it’s exactly how Wallace …
On any other Sunday, a 12th place finish would not be categorized as “really good” by Bubba Wallace. But when the result comes at a road course and keeps him in contention for his first NASCAR Cup Series postseason berth, it’s exactly how Wallace felt Sunday.
The 23XI driver holds the final spot on the playoff grid by 32 points going into the final regular-season race. It’s the only spot left up for grabs next weekend in Daytona.
“Looking at last week, we gave up 30 points,” Wallace said, “I think everybody, including myself, was like, ‘Man, it’s probably going to be the same thing. We’ll go into a heads-up battle with the No. 99 or whoever it may be.’ But man, we actually gained points.”
Wallace’s advantage entering the weekend was 28 points, which shrunk from 58 points after he finished 18th on the Indianapolis road course. It was a bad day all-around between the result, a new winner in Michael McDowell, and those he’s fighting for a playoff spot — particularly Daniel Suarez, who gained points with a top-five day.
Sunday in Watkins Glen, things went Wallace’s way. There was no new winner, with William Byron victorious for the fifth time this season, and Suarez finished 22nd after an early spin.
“Just thankful for the team [and] everyone at 23XI,” Wallace said. “Bootie [Barker] continuing to preach to me about how good we actually are and how we don’t struggle as much as I think we do, and just giving me the right resources to get these good results, because man, it’s tough.
“I’m tough on myself. I think we all know that here. But it’s just good to execute and come out with an OK points situation.”
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Barker and Wallace have been paired together since the fall of 2021. One of the sport’s veteran leaders, Barker has a no-nonsense personality but understands when Wallace needs to vent and when he needs to be set straight.
“He’s a warrior,” Wallace said of Barker. “He leads the troops to battle and he gets you in the right mindset and that’s what you need. This is an all-out war from the start of February to the start of November, and you have to just grind and to have that mentality, have that leadership, is a massive help for us and for me. So, at times, when I get down and out, he’s kind of there to get me right back in shape.”
Ty Gibbs is the first driver below the cutline by 32 points. Suarez is 43 points behind Wallace. Both drivers can mathematically overtake the No. 23 for the final playoff spot. It’s a must-win situation for all other drivers.
“I think we get fixated on Suarez … anybody can win Daytona,” Wallace said. “We just have to go and win. That’d be great. It’s not a must-win situation, but it can be. Look at [Austin Dillon last] year and what happened. We’re not safe by any means, it doesn’t matter who’s behind me in points.
“As long as we go and execute and run our own race and don’t get caught up in something stupid, we’ll be all right.”
Wallace is well-respected amongst his peers as one of the best superspeedway racers and has a win at Talladega (fall 2021). In Daytona, he has four top-five finishes in 11 starts, including three second-place finishes.
“I like when our backs are against the wall, and people are kind of writing us off,” he said. “We show up and deliver, so that’s something to be proud about.”
Denny Hamlin says that the pit crew woes at 23XI Racing are not something that can be solved overnight. “It’s frustrating from my standpoint because I’ve lived through it myself,” he said. 23XI Racing is qualified for the postseason with Tyler …
Denny Hamlin says that the pit crew woes at 23XI Racing are not something that can be solved overnight.
“It’s frustrating from my standpoint because I’ve lived through it myself,” he said.
23XI Racing is qualified for the postseason with Tyler Reddick, who won in the spring at Circuit of The Americas. But Reddick and his No. 45 team have also had numerous opportunities for additional victories slip through their fingers, most recently at Michigan International Speedway because of a loose wheel with less than 50 laps to go.
Bubba Wallace is still fighting for a postseason spot. Wallace and No. 23 team have not been immune to mistakes, as they were plagued often in 2022.
“I know what Tyler’s going through and the emotion that you have,” Hamlin said. “And Bubba, too. It’s free spots to the competition. So, it is a process.
“It’s going to take years. I can’t emphasize how much time it takes. But our ownership has bought into the fact of investing into our pit crews into the future and what we need to do to make it better, and we’re going to do that.”
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23XI Racing brought its pit crews in-house this season. For the last two years, the organization leased pit crews for its two Cup Series cars from alliance partner Joe Gibbs Racing. Those crews were developed and trained at Gibbs, the downside for 23XI Racing being that it was not atop the pecking order for top athletes, and Gibbs would make team decisions such as when crew members were moved around.
By developing its own pit crews, 23XI Racing has control. The training center and resources are still at Joe Gibbs Racing, and so the pit crew members 23XI Racing has hired for this season still train there.
Hamlin acknowledged the difficulty in trying to make improvements with its crews in both the short term and long term with the pit crews.
“You try to make changes the best you can, put different pieces of the puzzle in different spots,” he said. “We’ve kept the teams as is for the whole year thus far, but you have to be open to options. There are development guys at JGR that we pay into a pool to have access to, and if we have to use some of them, we will.”
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The loose wheel in Michigan relegated Reddick to a 30th-place finish with one of the fastest cars in the field. Reddick didn’t hide his anger on the radio, telling the team, among other things, it was “unacceptable” what happened.
Brian Bottlemy, the right-rear tire changer, knew there was an issue on the pit stop as the jack came down as he was tightening the lug. Bottlemy initially raised his right arm, signaling there was a problem, but then went back in on the lug nut and the team continued to the left side of the car.
Making matters worse, the car needed to be packed full of fuel so there was no need for an aggressively fast pit stop. Reddick’s reaction was one of the most explosive ever heard from him over the radio during a race.
“Certainly, considering the circumstances,” Hamlin said. “You’re waiting on fuel, there is no need to even have a 10-second stop. You just had to execute a good stop there and then leave it in the driver’s hand. There is only one way to take yourself out of that race and that was to have a loose wheel and that’s what we did.”
Hamlin, however, isn’t going to curb the emotions from his drivers as the growth process continues with the pit crews. Not only does Hamlin relate, but he believes it can be a motivator.
“It’s a balance for sure but some of the best leaders are hard on their guys sometimes,” Hamlin said. “I just think that sometimes you have to face the music and you have to live and die by the result that you have. I love all 10 guys that we have but we’re always competing to keep our jobs — race car drivers are, pit crew guys are.
“Everyone is trying to do the best they can but it’s always a competition and no one can be complacent that everything is fine and dandy. Listen, I know that they felt it. The pit crew guys didn’t want that to happen; they’re trying to win for our team. But we’re making the same mistakes multiple times and that’s where we’re struggling.”
Denny Hamlin talks about Michael Jordan’s involvement with 23XI Racing following the NBA legend’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets.
23XI Racing has come a long way since it was formed by Joe Gibbs Racing driver [autotag]Denny Hamlin[/autotag] and NBA legend [autotag]Michael Jordan[/autotag] to start the 2021 NASCAR season. The organization has grown from one full-time entry to two full-time entries and a third part-time car. Over that period of time, 23XI Racing has won four times and now hopes to have both entries in the 2023 NASCAR playoffs for the first time.
While Hamlin has been a crucial public figure for 23XI Racing, Jordan has not been as publicly involved. This doesn’t mean the NBA legend isn’t serious about the organization as other priorities are present in his life. One of those priorities was the Charlotte Hornets; however, Jordan sold his stake in the NBA franchise. Now, Hamlin says Jordan has been more involved with 23XI Racing.
“(Michael Jordan) is certainly involved in more meetings,” Hamlin said. “Now, he wants to be on every branding email. I’m like, ‘Oh boy, this could be interesting.’ I think he has some more time and perhaps he’s going to use that more on the race team”
Jordan has been to several races as a co-owner for 23XI Racing and it appears his involvement might be increasing following his sale of the Hornets. This would be an incredible situation for NASCAR as Jordan is one of the best athletes in sports history.
Even though a botched pit stop with 43 laps remaining in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway toppled Tyler Reddick down to a 30th-place finish position, the first year 23XI Racing driver remains confident the 23XI Racing …
Even though a botched pit stop with 43 laps remaining in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway toppled Tyler Reddick down to a 30th-place finish position, the first year 23XI Racing driver remains confident the 23XI Racing organization is now in a position to contend on every NASCAR Cup Series weekend.
“This is an organization I believe in and I’m glad that I’m here and we’re building that up now,” said Reddick. “There is a huge plan in place and a lot of growth left in this team. To be where we are at this early as we are still checking boxes and getting things where we want them to be.”
Steve Lauletta, team president for the 23XI Racing organization, says the third-year team, which has four wins — including at Circuit of The Americas earlier this year with Reddick — and two poles to its name still has a way to go to reach its goals, despite having both Reddick and teammate Bubba Wallace currently in the top 15 with the playoffs looming.
“We still have a lot of work to get done,” said Lauletta. “I try to remind everybody that we’re only two years and a little more than two and a half seasons into our lifespan and we’re racing against teams that have been doing it for decades and we are holding our own. We’re showing up every week with really fast cars. We’re competitive. We’ve knocked four wins off. We’ve got the No. 45 (Reddick) in the playoffs and the No. 23 (Wallace) fighting to make it and if we got both cars into the playoffs in the third season, that was a goal we set out before the year started. So yeah, we talk about acting as one team and everybody believes that the people that we have and the processes that we’re putting in place and our approach is one that s going to lend to a lot of success.”
Lauletta is aware that the 23XIRacing effort is still a work in progress.
“This is the first year that we have our own pit crew. So we’re in our third season in total and our first season with a pit crew and there are growing pains in all of it still,” he noted. “We’ve got a new shop under construction, so we still operate out of a facility that wasn’t ours and wasn’t designed for us. We are just kind of making the best of it because we only had four and a half months to have ourselves ready to race in 2021, so all of those things are part of the building process of a new race team.”
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Reddick and Wallace have both praised the team’s consistency and preparation, which Lauletta says is key part of the mental game ahead of the run for the playoffs.
“It does say a lot,” said Lauletta. “I mean, it’s certainly the start of it. It’s a lot easier to work on the things that can happen during a race, which we’ve obviously not flawlessly executed this year. We’ve had the chance to be competing for some wins and for a multitude of different reasons, we haven’t been able to knock those down. It’s easier to focus on how to fix executional issues than it is to find speed in race cars and we’re lucky and happy that we do show up with cars that can compete. Now we’ve just got to work on all the other things that go into running up front all day and ultimately winning a race. That’s really our focus.
“There are a million things that have to be done both as you prepare to go to the racetrack each week, figure out what you need to do back at the shop, what you do with your employees and what we do with our partners. There are so many facets to this business and that is what makes it fun, because there is a lot to really get aligned to have an organization functioning at the highest level. The people at 23XI Racing are fantastic. They work really hard. They enjoy being a part of the same team. Now we just need to work really hard the next three weeks to get Bubba locked into the playoffs and then put our heads down for 10 strong races in the playoffs.
“There are three races to go and anything can happen, so I would be much happier if we had a win for each team and we’d be locked in, but we’re not there just yet and we’re in a position that we can still make it into the playoffs with the number 23 and Bubba, which he hasn’t done before in his Cup career. That would be a big step forward for our team and for him as a driver. He did a great job for us in the number 45 last year in fighting for the Owner’s Championship. Getting both cars s the playoffs is a goal that we set out before the season and we’re confident that we can still get there.”
Having worked at Chip Ganassi Racing for over a decade before migrating over to 23XI Racing three years ago, Lauletta has been adamant about 23XI Racing’s aim to be a brand, as opposed to strictly a stock car racing team. Race sponsorships with brands such as Monster Energy, Dr. Pepper, Columbia, McDonald’s and Rocket League have all festooned the team’s race cars in addition to bringing new brand attention to the sport.
Expanding the 23XI brand with Kamui Kobayashi (middle) joining Reddick and Wallace, Lesley Ann Miller/Motorsport Images
“We’re trying to do some things that help us expose the sport of NASCAR and our team 23XI Racing to a wider audience. We want as many core NASCAR fans to cheer for us, but we also want to reach out and bring new fans to the sport and that’s what the Rocket League initiative was about,” Lauletta explained. “Partnering with Garth Brooks earlier this year was great. West Coast Customs worked with us, Travis Pastrana and Kamui Kobayashi and the No. 67 were about what we are trying to do. You know having these global motorsports superstars coming to NASCAR and driving for us and hopefully having some of their fans wanting to pay attention to 23XI Racing, all of that is part of us building this brand and this team.
“We’ve been lucky to have some great opportunities and we have great partners that bring us a lot of opportunities because of the reach of their brands. That kind of helps us expand or audience and our impact on some things. Toyota asking us if we were interested in running Kamui at a race was something we thought was a great opportunity from a brand-building perspective, but also on the track he’s a superstar with a lot of knowledge in his background that we can learn from. Even though he hasn’t driven these cars before, he’s a master at racing and how can he help Bubba and Tyler as we prepare for this weekend and beyond. He was with us in Chicago. He’s just been a pleasure to have around and that’s all part of this opportunity we are given by having the partners and ownership group that we have.”
23XI Racing was founded and co-owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan, and Lauletta says Hamlin continues to help lead the team forward in his unique role as a team owner for 23 XI while continue to race a Toyota for a different organization.
“He’s great. He’s obviously focused on what he’s doing behind the (Joe Gibbs Racing) No. 11, but when he’s not doing that, he is certainly helping us continue to build this team and to become competitive,” Lauretta said of Hamlin. “He said it was a five-year path to become a championship-caliber organization. We are in year three and we all feel like we are on a trajectory to get there, but there is still a lot of work to do.”
In the thick of fighting for a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Bubba Wallace is shifting his focus to having fun. Doing so, however, correlates to trying to secure his first postseason berth. Wallace enters the Indianapolis road course – his …
In the thick of fighting for a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Bubba Wallace is shifting his focus to having fun. Doing so, however, correlates to trying to secure his first postseason berth. Wallace enters the Indianapolis road course – his best road course on the schedule – with a 58-point advantage on the playoff grid cutline.
“Not locked in. Not safe,” Wallace said Saturday. “I was watching the race last night (from 2022) and I’m like, ‘I finished third in the second stage?’ Alright, [heck] of a strategy. My engineer was like, ‘And you ran second for a long time!’ I’m like, ‘Ha!’
“We’ll be fine. My main objective for these next two weeks, especially, is just to go out and have fun. It’s all going to go out the window lap one when I’m 2s off the pace, but I just want to get back to having fun. It goes away when you get to the Cup level, unfortunately.”
Wallace finished fifth on the Indianapolis road course last season. It was his first top-10 result on a road course in his Cup Series career and made his average finish through the first two Indianapolis races ninth.
The 23XI Racing driver is not yet in a position to mathematically clinch a playoff spot on points, which is something Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski can do this weekend if there is a repeat winner, or a winner who is not eligible for the playoffs. If that were to happen, it would leave two spots up for grabs over the final two regular-season races.
“When you don’t give a [crap] about things, that makes things fun,” Wallace said. “When you start thinking and overthinking, that dials you right out and that’s not fun. I’m a [really] good person at overthinking things, especially when it comes to road course racing, and taking the fun right out of it, so you just have to go out and get back to the basics.
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“I’ve hit sim a lot this week just trying to figure out where Tyler [Reddick] was fast, and I told him in our meeting Tuesday, ‘Hey man, to get the No. 23 locked in, you just go out and win these next two weeks. You’re the best road course racer — just go out and win and you’ll be fine.’ I put a little bit of extra pressure on him.”
In his previous five full seasons as a Cup Series competitor, Wallace never had a realistic chance at making the postseason like he does this year. He was always too far back in the championship standings to be able to point himself in, leaving him in must-win situations and usually counting on trying to pull it off at Daytona.
“We’ve been about three crashes, 10 loose wheels too late at this point,” he quipped. “Especially last year.”
Ironically, Wallace has never been a fan of having to race for points. This year, though, he’s been proud of how his No. 23 team has used strategy to capitalize on points to make the most of their situation.
“That’s been the biggest game changer,” Wallace said. “We started the year off not really a factor in the first two stages and rallying to get a top-five finish. Well, now we’re the opposite. We’re getting stage points, but we’re nowhere to be talked about in the final stage. That’s been frustrating the last couple of weeks, and we’ve got to figure out why we’re falling off the horse at the end when the pay window opens.”
Just like his mental approach, Wallace says sealing the deal is going to change this weekend in Indianapolis, too.
Bubba Wallace had a little help Sunday afternoon piloting his 23XI Racing Toyota around Richmond Raceway, which is why he wanted much more than the 12th-place finish he earned. “Once I get past the frustration, I know it was a really good day for …
Bubba Wallace had a little help Sunday afternoon piloting his 23XI Racing Toyota around Richmond Raceway, which is why he wanted much more than the 12th-place finish he earned.
“Once I get past the frustration, I know it was a really good day for us,” Wallace said. “Emotional day.”
Longtime friend and spotter Freddie Kraft lost his father, Tommy Kraft, Saturday morning and was not in Richmond for the weekend.
Before climbing into his car, Wallace and the No. 23 team removed his name from above the driver’s side door. Using tape, Wallace replaced his name with “Tommy Kraft.” After the race, Wallace got emotional all over again when he happened to see the door again when climbing out.
“[We were] racing with a lot there,” Wallace said. “He (Tommy) was driving the [expletive] out of it. I told him at the start of the race I’m just going to sit back and let him wheel it and man, we were awesome.”
Wallace led twice for 80 laps at Richmond. The time he spent at the front was not only the most he has done at Richmond (previously having led one lap in 10 starts), but it was the most laps Wallace has led in a single NASCAR Cup Series race in his career.
The race turned for the No. 23 on lap 175, though, when he made a green flag pit stop. Wallace was leading at the time he came to pit road, and the pit stop was hindered when the jack came down while the team was changing tires on the right side of the car, costing track position.
“Just had a hiccup on a pit stop but just never rebounded,” Wallace said. “The balance went away. Man, it’s just hard. This place is tough finding the right line and the right balance, and we just fell off of it.
“One of them here had the worst restart – [Kevin] Harvick – and held us up, unfortunately. It is what it is. We finished 12th. All in all, a good points day. I don’t know where we’re at; I know we put a pretty good gap [on the cutline], I’m assuming, so it’s a good day.”
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Wallace finished second in the first stage. After the slow pit stop, he finished fourth in the second. Although he was still a top-10 car, it was hard to regain the lost track position.
“It’s not really hard to pass; I was getting passed a lot,” he chuckled about the team’s change in fortune. “It’s just it gets harder. We’re at the Cup level. We’ve got multimillion dollars — billion dollars — all throughout this garage, and a lot of smart people, so we can get our setups within a very small window where that’s pretty good, and that’s when it gets hard.
“We fell out of that window and made it easier for people to get by us and lose that track position. When you’re falling and bleeding, you’re trying to do everything you can and it’s just tough.
“It was a good day for McDonald’s Toyota, the No. 23 car. I thought it was a good day for the team, I’m not sure what happened to the No. 45 but all in all, we’ll take it.”
Wallace entered the weekend with a 26-point advantage on the playoff grid cutline. By earning 41 points Sunday, his advantage grew to 54.
He still doesn’t feel comfortable as the regular season moves toward a conclusion, however.
“I’m glad a car in front of us won,” he said. “I think I watched who’s leading at that point more than what we’re doing. Congrats to [Chris Buescher]. We didn’t lose a spot.
“We keep saying it — Bootie [Barker] will keep saying it — you keep throwing your name in the hat, our time will come. Obviously we know Michigan is next week, so just have to learn from this one and build off of it and go into there.”
23XI Racing has a new paint scheme for driver Tyler Reddick during Sunday’s race.
Being a part of 23XI Racing certainly has its perks for Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace as drivers for the Michael Jordan-owned race team. And for Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway, Reddick sported a very special paint job on his car.
23XI Racing announced earlier in the week that Reddick would be racing in a paint scheme that is inspired by the limited-edition Air Jordan 2 “H” WINGS shoe that was a tribute to Howard “H” White. The 45 Toyota Camry TRD Pro gets dressed in white and green with some awesome details including a “M AIR J” license plate and a Jumpman logo.
Reddick finished the race in second behind Denny Hamlin to place second on Sunday afternoon.
This is just the latest Air Jordan-inspired race car for the brand as we’ve seen some cool paint schemes featuring a UNC colorway and even an elephant print colorway in the past.
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Tyler Reddick might have one of the fastest cars in the NASCAR Cup Series, but he and his 23XI Racing team haven’t done themselves any favors in trying to show it. “That’s pretty much it,” Reddick said Saturday about the team’s lack of execution in …
Tyler Reddick might have one of the fastest cars in the NASCAR Cup Series, but he and his 23XI Racing team haven’t done themselves any favors in trying to show it.
“That’s pretty much it,” Reddick said Saturday about the team’s lack of execution in recent weeks. “We’ve got plenty of speed, it’s just we got to have clean races. It’s really difficult in this day and age of this Cup (Series) racing to have mistakes, rebound from it and still win.
“We haven’t had many of those this year, and that’s basically what we have to do.”
Reddick started and finished sixth last weekend in New Hampshire. It was his first top-10 finish since late May at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But it wasn’t a clean top-10 finish in New Hampshire as Reddick was called or speeding on pit road at the end of the first stage.
Some of the other mistakes or issues the No. 45 team has made in recent weeks:
Atlanta: pit crew called for being over the wall too soon.
Chicago: Reddick goes into the Turn 6 tire barriers with 18 laps to go and gets stuck.
Nashville: Reddick spins onto pit road as the right-rear wheel comes off.
Sonoma: suffered a flat left-front tire with 14 laps to go.
St. Louis: Reddick gets spun in Turn 1 on lap two. Explodes a brake rotor with 66 laps to go.
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He led eight laps in Chicago before nosing into the tire barriers, led 33 laps in Nashville and four laps in St. Louis.
Before his sixth-place finish in New Hampshire, Reddick had finished 27th or worse in the previous five races. And those results followed qualifying efforts of ninth (St. Louis), second (Sonoma), second (Nashville), second (Chicago), and 12th (Atlanta).
With six races to go before the postseason starts, Reddick didn’t deny being concerned about the team’s execution. He’s already locked into the postseason with a win from Circuit of The Americas.
“It’s good we can bounce back from so many of these things that happen,” Reddick said. “We’ve pretty much gotten used to unnatural races, so we have to get back to having some boring races where nothing really exciting happens.”
Reddick isn’t immune to making mistakes and has put some of the blame on his shoulders. He apologized over the radio to his team at Atlanta Motor Speedway before the race was called official for weather, saying he had “screwed” them two weeks in a row.
“At the time, I thought the penalty was on me,” Reddick said. “But we still have had a few races where I’ve cost the team and, collectively, we have to get out of that habit. We’re pretty much used to the craziest of things happening and just moving on and trying to get the best finish possible after the fact.
“We have to stop doing that and have normal days. I feel like if we’re fast enough where we don’t even have to give it 100 percent, honestly, we could run top 10, no problem.”
The good news is that Reddick and his team aren’t searching for speed, which is a far tougher task than needing to clean up their execution.
“Correct,” he said. “We’re just searching for ways to get the finishes that we’re deserved with the speed we have.”