It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. With the Round of 12 on the horizon at Kansas Speedway, 23XI Racing is going through a period of uncertainty. Their regular series champion Tyler Reddick isn’t in the best run of form, having failed to finish above 20th in his last two playoff races. However, there is some hope for the 28-year-old, who is back in familiar territory at the 1.5-mile quad-oval, where he won last September’s playoff race in Kansas by 0.327 seconds over Denny Hamlin.

Despite poor results at Bristol Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International, Reddick will be one of the favorites to enter Victory Lane at the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400. Could this be the race where he overcomes his playoff slump?

It’s now or never for Tyler Reddick

Few drivers have been as dominant as Tyler Reddick at Kansas Speedway. The 23XI Racing driver has won three of his last five races on the track, a testament to his racing prowess and consistency over the years. However, the California native won’t be in a bullish mood heading into this year’s race, given how his recent performances have been in the Round of 16 playoffs. Momentum can make or break a driver’s season and as things stand, it seems like Reddick hasn’t found his rhythm in the business end of the season.

Reflecting on his form in the Cup Series postseason, NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp shared his views about Reddick’s chances at Kansas by saying, “I don’t know what to make of Tyler Reddick. So steady, so stable, so consistent all year. What happened in the last two weeks? Never really a factor in Bristol. Statistically, he’s the best road course racer but kind of struggled at Watkins Glen. Looking at this round, he should be good at Kansas this weekend. 23XI has won three of the last five Kansas races. Reddick has a trophy.”

Tyler Reddick’s recent struggles may not last long, given his strong track record at Kansas Speedway and a win at Talladega earlier this year. With the second Round of 12 race at Talladega, he has a chance to sweep the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Reddick also boasts the best road course record in the Cup Series, making the Charlotte Roval—a road course-oval hybrid—another promising venue before the Round of 8.

23XI Racing will need him at his best. Despite fewer wins, Reddick’s consistency, including 10 top-eight finishes in 11 mid-season races, helped him secure the regular season title. Currently third in the standings, he’s just 19 points behind Kyle Larson and ready to close the gap.

Could 23XI Racing go for an Xfinity Series star in 2025?

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There has been plenty of chatter about Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s co-owned team not signing the final charter proposal presented by NASCAR. Their decision comes at a time when 23XI Racing has been linked with a move to expand their Cup Series team to three drivers by buying one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s charters. According to FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, Riley Herbst remains a viable candidate to join the team, as his experience in the Xfinity Series combined with funding from Monster Energy makes him an attractive candidate.

However, the No. 98 Ford Mustang driver is unsure about his NASCAR future, going on to say, “[I’m] not confident, by any means. Distraction-wise, I think it weighs on all of us a little bit. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t, hopefully, things kind of sort themselves out in the meantime for the future, but I can’t worry about that now.”

As Stewart-Haas Racing is ceasing operations by the end of the 2024 season, time is running out for Herbst to secure a seat for next season. His best course of action would be to focus on the Xfinity Series playoffs, which are on the horizon, and focus on winning the title. If he does manage to lift the silverware at Phoenix Raceway, it could propel him into NASCAR’s highest level.

With Bubba Wallace having signed a contract extension recently, 23XI Racing will hope to secure Tyler Reddick’s long-term future with the team as well. The regular series champion may want to get clarity over the possible repercussions his team may face after not signing the charter agreement before putting pen to paper on a new contract, which could add further uncertainty for the team.

Could Reddick look to move elsewhere, especially if he wins the championship at Phoenix Raceway later this year? While unlikely, it remains a possibility.