via Imago
Kyle Larson & Tyler Reddick | Image credits: Imago
via Imago
Kyle Larson & Tyler Reddick | Image credits: Imago
NASCAR has come a long way in terms of the overall quality of its racing. Gone are the days of career-ending, life-threatening wrecks, and a major contributor to that has been the Next-Gen platform, which has made races safer than ever. However, despite the improvements, there’s one aspect that keeps ringing in drivers’ heads and that is the loud and ear-piercing sounds these machines make. While the community went up in arms when Kyle Larson pointed it out, fellow driver, Tyler Reddick has come out to back Larson on his “too loud” claim, relaying the obvious fact.
Tyler Reddick sides with Kyle Larson on his bold remark
A few days ago, fans were shocked to hear Larson’s open admission following the Phoenix testing for the 2024 season. The HMS sensation was part of the 6 driver team that was called upon by the organization for its Next-Gen testing. One major aspect the sanctioning body had on its agenda was a new and improved muffler kit that would dampen the overall noise levels, keeping them in check.
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While traditionalists and old-school fans were totally against the organization, nulling the exhaust note, Larson went against the grain and stated the harsh truth. He was trolled and roasted brutally for his comments after he said, “I definitely think our race cars are way too loud and probably are still too loud with the mufflers so…”
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Days after the HMS driver was bashed for his public statement, 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick backed Larson when he said, “Everything’s loud.” The driver dropped down to the popular DBC podcast wherein he shared his take and sided with the #5 driver’s claim. Briefly mentioning everything in NASCAR was loud, pointing out the noisy impact gun used for tire swaps he said, “I mean I had to go find an audiologist I think it’s called, like a specialist, to like really make sure my ear mold is sealed because I would get off the car after the race and my ears would hurt, I would lay down in bed and it would ring for days like drive me crazy.
However, that was not the only agenda he discussed as the driver shared his take on the ongoing debate surrounding the Next-Gen car and its horsepower.
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Reddick delivers his verdict on NASCAR’s horsepower debacle
It is common knowledge that with the advent of Next-Gen cars, races have become more uniform than ever. And with that has come the issue of passing. Especially in short tracks, overtaking has become such a hard nut to crack that even veteran drivers like Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr are prompted to say that the organization needs to bump up the power figures for drivers to make a pass.
With Reddick dropping down to the studio for the Christmas special program, the host couldn’t wait to hear his take on the horsepower debate. The 27-year-old mentioned how sensitive the cars have become and discussed the time when he tried adding more power during simulation. He said, “Didn’t change much. I mean, we’re talking, the amount of off-throttle time was reduced very little.”
He then indirectly sided with NASCAR President, Steve Phelps who was against bumping up the horsepower, saying, “I think you’d need to be above a thousand horsepower to like really move that needle and that is a very big jump. I mean small jumps can happen in the short term.”
Tyler Reddick’s perspectives on the matter have certainly brought about an interesting narrative to the never ending debates. What do you think of his opinions?
