Tyler Reddick during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 10, 2024. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
AVONDALE, Ariz. — It was a tough afternoon for Tyler Reddick on Sunday, finishing in sixth place in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race and coming home last of the Championship 4 drivers at Phoenix Raceway.
From the drop of the green flag, it seemed that the Team Penske duo of Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney would be the ones to beat, and Reddick, who thought he and his No. 45 team did a lot of things right, just did not have enough.
“Honestly, I feel like we did a lot of things right,” said Reddick. “Just seemed like we were just not quite as fast as the 22 or the 12 on the long run.”
Reddick was fourth in the running of the four title contenders for the majority of the race, finishing behind both Team Penske cars and William Byron in all three stages. Throughout the race, he and the team got the car better, but it was not enough.
Tyler Reddick during practice at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 10, 2024. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
It was the first Championship 4 appearance for both Reddick and his team, 23XI Racing. Phoenix is a tough track, but he believes that he and his team learned a lot throughout the day for next season.
“We have some things to learn from, I think Bubba [Wallace] learned quite a bit out there today too,” Reddick said. “So, between us both and the leadership we have in our team, we should be able to make some improvements, find some things maybe we can change so when we come back here in the spring we have some more speed.”
Even with the disappointment of the outcome at Phoenix, it was still a career season for Reddick and his team, and he believes they gave it their best effort.
“It was a great year and effort by everybody involved,” said Reddick. “Obviously, when you come into this, you want to leave the champion, but I feel like we did just about everything we could do today, just came up a little short.”
Tyler Reddick in the garage during NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race practice. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
The playoff run also makes him confident going into 2025, as in each of his two years driving the No. 45 car, the team has improved. In 2023, he won two races and reached the Round of 8, and in 2024, he won three races and raced for a title at Phoenix.
“We seem to be continuing to get better and better,” Reddick said. “This was a really good year for our team and we’ll just keep building on it. This year’s another step in the right direction.”
