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NASCAR Cup Series

2022 Season in Review: Tyler Reddick

(Photo: Maddie Skidan | The Podium Finish)

Tyler Reddick returned to Richard Childress Racing for his third NASCAR Cup Series season in 2022. Here’s what happened:

By the numbers

Points: 14th

Wins: 3

Top 5s: 10

Top 10s: 15

Average start: 9.5

Average finish: 17.6

DNFs: 8

Laps led: 503

Highlights

After going winless his first two seasons, Reddick finally broke through with his first three victories in 2022. Surprisingly, his first two came on road courses. Reddick led 18 laps and outdueled road course ace Chase Elliott to notch his first win on Fourth of July weekend at Road America. Later that month, Reddick dominated and survived NASCAR Overtime to pick up a win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Reddick won his third race of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, just a week after his NASCAR Playoffs elimination. He also won the Xfinity Series race at Texas in May for Big Machine Racing.

Reddick also scored three poles and won two stages. He finished second four times.

(Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)

Lowlights

Reddick had other opportunities to win races that sliped away. He dominated and led 90 laps at Auto Club Speedway in February before a blown tire took him out of the running. While battling Chase Briscoe for the win in the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt race, the two made contact and spun in the final corner allowing Kyle Busch to win.

He also had blown tires in both Kansas Speedway races and the spring Atlanta Motor Speedway race.

Reddick entered the Playoffs with two wins and off back-to-back top 10s at Watkins Glen International and Daytona International Speedway but made an early exit. Despite finishing third at Darlington Raceway, he finished 35th at Kansas after the blown tire and crashed and finished 25th at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Inconsistency was a theme for Reddick. He never scored more than three top 10s in a row and had 17 finishes of 20th or worse.

(Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)

2023 outlook

Things will look different for Reddick in 2023. He’s joining 23XI Racing a year early to drive the No. 45 for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. Reddick was set to switch teams in 2024, but RCR and 23XI negotiated a buyout after Kurt Busch announced he’d step away from full-time racing.

Reddick will look to improve upon his three wins and make a deeper run in the Playoffs. He’s looking to become the first 23XI driver in the team’s history to run for a championship in driver’s points.

With a change of scenery and new resources, 2023 could be a memorable year for Reddick.

Nathan Solomon serves as the managing editor of The Podium Finish. He has been part of the team since 2021 and is accredited by the National Motorsports Press Association. Solomon is a senior in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University. Contact him at NSolly02@Yahoo.com.

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