Kevin Harvick has publicly voiced significant Kevin Harvick NASCAR playoff concerns for Tyler Reddick and the 23XI Racing team, following a disappointing finish in the recent NASCAR Cup Series playoff round at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. As the playoffs continue, Reddick’s ongoing challenges have placed the team’s future in the postseason at risk, drawing widespread attention from fans and experts alike.
Harvick Sounds Alarm Over 23XI Racing’s Performance
After Tyler Reddick captured the regular season championship in 2024 and raced to the Championship 4, expectations were high for another competitive year. However, Reddick remains winless this season, and his trademark speed from last year appears lost as the 2025 campaign progresses. His latest frustration peaked after the Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire, where he qualified fourth but ended up 21st—continuing a pattern with five out of his last six finishes outside the top ten.
As frustration mounts within the No. 45 team, Kevin Harvick expressed his concerns about their playoff prospects.
Big trouble. That’s what I read between those lines,
Harvick said on the Happy Hour podcast.
“I think that we’ve talked about the 45 all year and how they haven’t had that speed. You can just tell by his demeanor and the way he’s answering those questions, the way he’s swaying back and forth, there’s just a lot of things that scream I’m pissed, I don’t like where we are, I don’t like anything that’s happening. You can point to the lack of speed, you can point to a lot of rumors from around the race team as to what might happen if things go down the path with the lawsuit.”
Harvick added further,
So, I just think there’s a number of things in that interview and the things that he says — the speed is one of them, it’s everything. I don’t think you can get away from that. Those cars were awful this weekend. The 23 and the 45 were awful compared to what we expect out of them, and the 45 hasn’t had any speed all year. That is an unhappy driver. Very, very unhappy.
23XI Struggles Extend to Both Playoff Cars
The difficulties at New Hampshire weren’t limited to Reddick. His 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace suffered as well, finishing 26th and describing his day as a complete “miss all around.” Heading into the next playoff race at Kansas Speedway, both Reddick and Wallace find themselves on the playoff bubble, holding the 11th and 12th spots in the points standings, respectively.
Kansas has often been a strong track for Reddick—he won there in September 2023—but he now faces an uphill climb as his team has largely failed to muster the speed required to contend for wins at any venue this year.
Reddick Shares Frustrations and Uncertainty
After the setback in New Hampshire, Tyler Reddick candidly addressed the struggles:
I didn’t expect that; that’s for sure. The way the race started I thought we were going to be able to run in the top 10 all day, but between the brake issues we had, and it just got away quick. The balance went away and then next thing you know we were trying to battle for 20th. Just a terrible day,
Reddick said.
He further admitted the scale of their challenges:
Yeah, there’s just a lot of question marks, honestly. Places we have had speed at, we don’t bring speed. That’s been one of them for us. Yeah, we need something special to happen. I’m hoping we find the answer.
What’s Next for Reddick, Harvick’s Concerns, and 23XI?
The current situation puts significant pressure on Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, and by extension Bubba Wallace. The team’s fading momentum and absence of strong results raise urgent questions about their chances of advancing in the NASCAR playoffs. With Kansas Speedway on the horizon—a track that once brought Reddick victory but now offers uncertainty—the coming races will be vital for shaping their playoff fate.
As Kevin Harvick’s warnings draw attention to the challenges inside 23XI Racing, the spotlight remains firmly on the team to deliver a turnaround before their playoff aspirations slip away.
