Tyler Reddick, the 23XI Racing driver competing in the No. 45 Pinnacle Toyota Camry XSE, shared his thoughts with the media on Saturday before the NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway, opening up about his experiences with the hectic media schedule, the aftermath of his Daytona 500 victory, and his approach to the upcoming Atlanta event. The Tyler Reddick Atlanta NASCAR interview provided an honest glimpse into his mindset as he navigates the pressure and excitement of the 2024 racing season.
A Demanding Week Filled With Spotlight and Media Engagements
Reddick spoke candidly about the whirlwind schedule he faced following his recent win, mentioning the constant lack of sleep and how it has become a norm, particularly with an eight-month-old at home. Balancing media appearances and family life, he highlighted the rewarding parts of engaging with analysts and anchors new to the sport, especially those drawn in by the excitement of NASCAR finishes and Michael Jordan’s high-profile association with 23XI Racing.
“Yeah, someone could probably walk up to me and say, ‘We did an interview on Tuesday or yesterday, I’d be like, yeah,’ because, I mean, there’s just so many of them, but yeah, it’s really cool, but to your point, not a lot of sleep. That’s okay. I’m kind of used to that with an eight-month old, and there’s the occasional middle of the night wake up from Beau. It’s been a lot of fun. I think getting to go to these places and do these things, that part is cool, but, for me, what I’ve enjoyed the most is kind of having the opportunity to, whether it was going on First Things First, or just a number of the shows, getting to interact with the analyst or the anchors that didn’t know a lot about racing, that were genuinely curious about racing, whether it was because they were intrigued by the finish, and how exciting it looked, and just chaotic it was, or the number of athletes that were drawn to understand and learn more because they saw Michael (Jordan, co-owner, 23XI Racing) in Victory Lane, and he’s the owner of 45 and he won the 500. I think that for me was probably the part I enjoyed the most – is getting to like tell them about Michael and to tell them about NASCAR and like what our world is kind of like, among all else. That was probably the part that I enjoyed a lot.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Impactful Daytona 500 Moments and NASCAR Memories
Reflecting on the Daytona 500, Reddick recalled the emotional impact of the 2001 race, which remains one of the most memorable in his mind, standing out for its significance over many others he watched in his youth. He offered perspective on what it meant to win the race and how it sets the tone for the season, viewing the Daytona experience as both a launching pad and a distinct achievement, depending on the outcome.
“Well, yes, unfortunately, it wasn’t a good one. I feel like one of the first ones I really sat down and watched start to finish was 2001. I know there’s a lot of great Daytona races that I watched, but, I mean, when you talk about just impactful – that one. It was a rough day, but there was a lot of other races that I got to watch, but, I mean, in that sense, the one that was the most impactful was 2001 for sure.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
“I feel like it’s a little bit above. Maybe it just depends if I wreck or if I run good (laughter), I would just tell myself that, but going back a couple years, we would go to Daytona and then I think, if I’m remembering it right, we just go straight to Fontana. I might be wrong, maybe I don’t remember it very well, but I think when you kind of, in today’s schedule, when you have Daytona, and then you come here, and it’s another speedway race, like, it doesn’t feel like it’s its own thing, because in a lot of ways, the mentality you have if it’s in a good place, Daytona, it’s very similar to what you want to do here. Yes, the runs happen faster, and there’s more handling in the corners, but just that mindset, when you’re drafting, like I feel like it kind of carries on. I think, for me, I’ve the last two years, but I guess that’s, those are the two race I finished well, I’ve said, ‘All right, we got a good finish. We scored some decent points. Let’s build on it.’ I think the years that I crashed out or just didn’t have a very good finish. I tried to say, ‘okay, well, it’s done. It’s in the past.’ So, I think I’ve kind of approached it both ways over the years.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Working With Michael Jordan: Pressure and Expectations at 23XI Racing
Reddick elaborated on his interaction with Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing, recalling how Jordan emphasized the importance of team goals and performance at the start of the season. Jordan’s presence in Victory Lane underscored his expectations for success and seizing opportunities, particularly for the No. 45 car, which had not met its full potential the previous year.
“We talked about a little bit in Victory Lane, and, yeah, I mean, just for him as an owner, he made it very clear to us a couple weeks before the season got going, all leadership got together, drivers and whatnot, and just made sure that we had our goals aligned and everything, and he made it very clear then and he confirmed it again, Victory Lane, what he expects of us as an organization, and when we have opportunities like that it’s important for us to get the job done, and, for us on the 45, we didn’t do that last year. So, to kind of be able to right out of the gate this year, be able to capitalize on it was cool. I saw it on the Jordan Brand post, on socials, but the word I heard it say a few times was just clutch. It was cool. He thought it was cool that, in the heat of the moment, even as things seemed to kind of get out of sight, and come back into sight, like, in the closing laps, that where I was just able to make the right choices on the final lap and win the race. Just clutch.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Challenges of Atlanta and Lessons from Previous Races
Discussing his history at Atlanta, Reddick pointed out that while his team at 23XI Racing consistently brings a competitive car, he often feels that he has not made the right decisions in crucial moments. He reflected that past mistakes and learning moments, both at Atlanta and in the Daytona 500, have provided valuable insights that he aims to leverage for better performances in future speedway races, including at Atlanta and Talladega.
“Yeah, I mean, in my opinion on that one, I don’t feel like, I mean, I understand on a consistent basis to what has happened here, but, in my opinion, for my car, my team, 23XI, I don’t feel like that one really lines up well for me. Over the years here, I feel like we’ve always had a very solid Camry and I just, more times than not, I’ve kind of messed it up here at the end of the race, whether it’s just not being too aggressive or just not being towards the front at the end of the race, but most of the time, I feel like we come here and we have what we need to win. Our best shot at it definitely was the last summer race here, and I just didn’t make the right choices at the end. I think the lessons I learned from that, the lessons I’ve learned from running the course of the 500 on Sunday, just making adjustments as a driver are in the right direction, going forward for races at Atlanta, and then Talladega, that we’ll have.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
The Perpetual Daytona 500 Wrecks: An Unchanging Tradition?
When asked whether there will ever be a Daytona 500 finish without a last-lap wreck, Reddick expressed doubts given the current era of car and racing style. He believes that until significant changes occur, the drivers’ aggressive pushes and the mentality to risk everything on the final lap ensure that chaos remains a fixture at the end of NASCAR’s biggest race.
“With this current car, I don’t see it. Even towards when I had my time in the Gen 6 car, the runs were big, and you could really get all over the back to somebody and push hard. I think whether it’s the handling or the bubble, just kind of getting bigger, like it used to be, with previous cars, that will have to change for the wreck, a wreck or multiple wrecks, not to happen on the last lap. Just, you’re able to push pretty much at any point. I think everybody understands it’s not worth the risk pushing in the trioval early in the race. It’s not worth the risk to push if you’re not lined up well, and all that just goes out the window on the last lap, because if you check up and don’t give the car ahead of you the push, you’re just not going to have to momentum. I mean, you have the opportunity to win the race or put yourself a position to win a race or the Daytona 500, so, all the caution that you have just kind of goes out the window in the closing laps, and I think that’s why the accidents happen, but if you don’t have that aggression, you don’t have the momentum, and you’re not up there in the mix anyways.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Unforgettable Scenes From the Media Tour
The post-race media whirlwind offered Reddick some unique experiences, including a standout moment at New York City’s Empire State Building. His opportunity to access the open air at one of the highest points in the city became a unique highlight of his victory tour.
“I’d say when I’ve been to Empire State Building once before. I think when we went and did PBR Madison Square Garden a couple years ago, I got to go check out the Empire State Building, but this time around, we did the 86th floor. We did 102, but they also let me up to 103, which is, open to the air, there’s rail. You just kind of out there in the open air, way up high in New York City, that was really cool. So, yeah, just leaning over that rail and seeing how far down it was, and just the city kind of out in front of you, that was really, really cool.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
A Closer Look at COTA and Performance Improvement
Reddick’s record at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) was another topic of discussion. He credited his success to an in-depth familiarity with the course, built on years of laps and various competitions, as well as constant adaptation to the track’s ever-changing characteristics. Off-season focus on long run speed has been aimed at closing the gap on strong competitors like Shane van Gisbergen.
“Well, years ago, it was the fact that it had so many big braking zones. When the tires were harder, you’d be very aggressive and just push. I think now maybe it’s just the laps that I have there. I’ve got to run other races there, win other things there over the years, and so I think maybe at this point, it’s just the amount of laps that I have there, just kind of understanding the track. One thing I love about it, that adds to the challenge is the track gets so many laps on it throughout the year, from all the things that are racing there, or things that are just on track, track days. Every time we go there, different sections are repaved, and the grip level’s different, and that part that I really enjoy. I think, just for me, we’re able to qualify really good, and as the year went on, we needed to continue to find long run speed to keep up with Shane (van Gisbergen), and we’ve worked really hard on that in the off season, and we’re excited to see where we fall in with the gains that it looks like we’ve made. I think it’s going be really hard to be much faster than Shane, but hopefully, we just got up a little bit more.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
The Famous Daytona Ring and Its Bumpy Adventures
Reddick offered a lighthearted story about the elusive Daytona 500 winner’s ring, which has become notorious for slipping off his finger during several public appearances, including TV show interviews and pit area commutes. He sees the mishaps as part of the charm and memories tied to the achievement.
“Not really (laughter). Yeah, it’s fallen off my hand a lot (laughter). I just didn’t wear it in here today because if it starts raining, it just falls off my hand. I figured that out after I left the media center on Sunday. I got a ride back closer to the garage, or I don’t know, I think my bus driver, Tyler Clark, was like helping Alexa (Reddick, Tyler’s wife) with something. So, I don’t know. I just remember, getting back to the garage and opening the door on the rental car, and the ring just took off. I went chasing it across the asphalt, so that wasn’t be good (laughter). But, then, of course, it fell off when I went to shake Mark’s (Consuelos) hand on (LIVE with) Kelly and Mark, so, yeah, it’s fallen off a few times, but it’s got character and there’s stories behind it, so it is what it is.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Team Traditions: Signing the Car for the Museum
Asked about the team’s post-win celebration of signing the car before it was sent to a museum, Reddick admitted he was unable to participate due to a packed schedule, but expressed admiration for the tradition and speculated about which crew members signed which parts.
“Unfortunately, I can’t speak on that one at all. I wasn’t there to participate. I got to see a couple pictures of it, and I don’t know, I don’t know where the idea came from or how it started, but I kind of loved that they did it the way that they did it. If there’s a signature on the jack post, I imagine it’s my jackman, Brandon Banks. I’m guessing Dakota (Ratcliff, rear tire changer) and Hunter (Masling, front tire changer) from a signing perspective, front and back of the car, so, yeah, I wish I could have partaken in that some way, but there was a lot going on Monday, so I just kind of heard about it like you did.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Preparation for Atlanta Amidst the Demands of Success
Despite an action-packed week, Reddick explained he managed to keep his race preparations on schedule for Atlanta, using a brief window at home to catch up on crucial tasks. Although some meetings were missed due to his packed itinerary, he felt confident in the groundwork his team laid for the weekend’s race.
“No, I don’t think so. I feel pretty good about it. Fortunately, it just kind of worked out the one day we had at home, or, like, the half day I had it home, I don’t know. that’s what we normally kind of do all of our free race stuff, so we’re able to cover everything, and, like, a normal week on that day. Yeah, I haven’t been able to – I haven’t made a post-race meeting yet this year. There’s a number of things that have been out of sorts, if you will, but yeah, for the most part, it was a normal week on the prep side, so I think I’ll be good.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Looking Ahead: Trying for Consistency in a High-Pressure Environment
Tyler Reddick’s journey through a demanding week in the NASCAR spotlight, a major Daytona 500 win, and ongoing preparations for Atlanta underscores the unrelenting pressure and excitement that define life in one of motorsports’ premier series. With high expectations from figures like Michael Jordan and the support of the 23XI Racing team behind him, Reddick has his sights set on continuing to evolve his approach, build on past experiences, and aim for sustained success in the high-stakes world of NASCAR Cup Series racing.
