The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway brought fans to the edge of their seats as the season’s top drivers went head-to-head. After multiple cautions and the pace car driving into barrels, Joey Logano ultimately emerged as the champion, capturing his third NASCAR Cup Series title. Logano led for 107 laps and managed to fend off teammate Ryan Blaney by a mere 0.330 seconds.

This victory solidified Team Penske’s third consecutive championship, making it a historic feat only matched by Hendrick Motorsports in the 21st century. Blaney came in as the runner-up, giving everything he had in those final laps but falling just short of surpassing Logano’s speed and strategy. William Byron, finishing 5.119 seconds behind in third place, held his own but couldn’t quite reach the blistering pace set by Logano and Blaney.

Tyler Reddick, who crossed the line in sixth, had a respectable run but struggled to break into the top positions in the season’s most competitive race. Despite not finishing at the front, he later shared some thoughtful words about the playoff format and how it takes grit to reach the championship battle. Reflecting on Logano’s win, Reddick shut down critics questioning Logano’s victory in a recent interview. So let’s take a look at what he had to say.

Tyler Reddick’s humble perspective on Joey Logano’s Championship win

In an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio,

Tyler Reddick didn’t hold back in defending Joey Logano’s championship win, shutting down critics who claimed it was undeserved. Reddick’s take on the playoff format—and on Logano’s performance at Phoenix—came across as both honest and insightful.

“It, above all else,” Reddick began, referring to the demands of NASCAR’s playoff structure. “It takes everything to have that kind of speed and performance at Phoenix,” he said, acknowledging the intensity it takes to even get to that point. Reddick noted that Logano and his No. 22 team had fully earned their championship, silencing any critics by pointing out how difficult the season-long journey truly is.

Reflecting on his own experience, Reddick pointed out that while the playoff format can be brutal, it’s also something everyone understands from the outset. “When we start the year, we all know what it’s going to be,” he admitted. “We all know where we need to be our strongest, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise.” Reddick, who’s won two Xfinity championships under the same format, made it clear that he has no complaints, acknowledging, “I don’t think I have any room to file complaints about it.”

For Reddick, the format’s intensity only ramps up as drivers move deeper into the playoffs. “It’s so important once you make it to the round of eight to win in Vegas or Homestead to give yourself extra time,” he explained. This is exactly what he and Logano did this year, with Logano taking the checkered flag at Vegas and Reddick at Homestead. The pressure to perform with so much on the line “gets really heavy, quick,” he admitted. With so many critical moments where “you never really feel safe,” he applauded the teams who managed to come out on top despite the challenges.

Finally, Tyler Reddick wrapped up his thoughts with a nod to Logano’s outstanding championship performance: “At the end of the day, the 22 team did what they needed to do to get there, and they put on an insane performance on Sunday. So you can’t take it away from them.” Although Tyler Reddick gave his all at Phoenix, one NASCAR critic believes he knows what happened to the 23XI Racing driver.

Kevin Harvick’s take on Tyler Reddick’s performance at Phoenix

Kevin Harvick wasn’t at all shocked by Tyler Reddick’s performance at Phoenix, where the 23XI Racing driver ultimately fell short of a strong run in the Championship 4. After an impressive 2024 season, capped with a regular season title and a thrilling last-lap pass at Homestead to make the championship round, expectations were high for Reddick. But as Harvick shared on his “Happy Hour” podcast, Reddick’s performance in Phoenix wasn’t surprising to him.

Harvick pointed out that while all the Championship 4 drivers had potential, Reddick’s No. 45 car was more of a 10th-place vehicle that day. Harvick explained that achieving championship-level success requires teams to go beyond just speed; they have to have an edge that drivers like Joey Logano can find, even when they aren’t the fastest on the track.

According to Harvick, Logano’s knack for strategy and “moving the pieces around the board” gives him an edge, showing an intensity and focus that Reddick and others will need to match if they want to win it all. Harvick noted that Reddick showed flashes of that drive, especially at Homestead, but that 23XI Racing will need to dig deeper to reach that next level. As Harvick sees it, Reddick’s team must find a new gear and push their limits to keep up with drivers like Logano and Blaney.