The season has been a roller coaster ride for Denny Hamlin’s owned team, the 23XI Racing. The first half started strong with Tyler Reddick’s win at the Circuit of The Americas and Bubba Wallace’s solid performances. However, the team faced struggles in the middle of the season. Yet, things seemed to be turning around from the past few races. In fact, Tyler Reddick secured the pole position and Bubba Wallace started in P5 at Richmond.
Denny Hamlin described the Richmond weekend as resembling RFK Racing and 23XI Racing’s day, with Tyler Reddick claiming pole position and Chris Buescher taking home a victory. Despite having promising positions to compete, both Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace made last-minute mistakes, which ultimately cost them valuable places, resulting in 16th and 12th place finishes, respectively.
Denny Hamlin expresses frustration over his driver’s mistakes
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Throughout the season, both Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick have made critical mistakes, resulting in the loss of numerous valuable points. Bubba Wallace’s determination to secure a playoff spot is well-known, given his previous miss by just one point last year, making every single point crucial to him.
On the other hand, Tyler Reddick displayed strong potential at Richmond, starting in pole position, winning stage 1, and placing third in stage 2. However, a commitment line violation during pit road entry led to a pass-through penalty, impacting his chances of a strong finish.
During the Action Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin expressed frustration over his team’s driver’s constant mistakes. When heard about Tyler Reddick’s late pit road mistake, Denny said, “Hand and face emoji, I just jeez just they really struggled to finish you know kind of like what they are capable of now again they did at Pocono but the mistakes ran. The mistakes is just killing um the 23 and 45.”
Watch this story: Driver Who Got Jeopardized By Kyle Busch Ends Decade-Long Drought As Fans Rejoice
NASCAR insider backs Tyler Reddick and the 23XI team
Trending
Tony Stewart’s Wife Leah Pruett Pens a Heartfelt Message for Husband After His Unwavering Support for His Family
“We Are Not Morning People”- Travel Woes Hit Home for Kyle Busch & Wife Samantha Leaving Son Brexton Grinning
Joe Gibbs Drops a Bombshell ’Without Warning”, Leaves Denny Hamlin Shocked
“I’m Happy”- Martin Truex Jr. Not Done With NASCAR as He Drops 8-Word Retirement Verdict
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Offers a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to His Loyal Fanbase as He Gears Up for His Return With Budweiser
Undoubtedly, Michael Jordan’s owned team possesses the true potential to deliver dominating performances beyond their current results. Brett Griffin believes that Tyler Reddick could have won more than one race this season, but occasional mistakes have hindered their desired outcomes. Despite acknowledging Reddick’s exceptional talent, the team’s inability to avoid errors impacts their chances of securing maximum points and additional victories.
On a recent podcast, Door Bumper Clear, Griffin said, “We talked about that earlier, Tyler Reddick. This guy is one of the best race-car drivers in my mind in all of NASCAR right now. I truly think his talent level is that high, but for whatever reason, he and that team man, they just can’t have a mistake-free race and go out there and get max points and have a chance to win some more races.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“Obviously, they got the win at COTA early in the year but that’s a team that I really think should be winning three to five races a year with the talent that Tyler has,” Griffin concluded.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Bubba Wallace, as his playoff spot is still not confirmed. The team’s performance in the remaining four races will determine their fate and potential for a strong bounce-back.