The recent Cup Series race at Sonoma road course was both a feast and famine for Toyota. While Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr brought another much-needed win for the manufacturer, another one of its ace drivers has been falling short frequently despite his valiant efforts. Recently, proud Toyota-associated 23XI Racing‘s Tyler Reddick came out with a rather intriguing admission after his shift to Toyota from Chevrolet.

While Reddick jumped to Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing for 2023, Richard Childress Racing got themselves a solid driver as Kyle Busch ended his 15-year tenure with JGR that earned him 2 titles. While Busch jumped from JGR to RCR, a team that’s been in the game for more than 50 years, Reddick, on the other hand, ended his association with the RCR camp to join the 2-year-old 23XI Racing.

Keeping this as the backdrop, senior NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass poked a few interesting questions during his exclusive with the driver, where Reddick revealed his 9-word confession about his shift to the young team, while his RCR replacement has racked up three wins compared to his only victory at the Circuit of The Americas.

Tyler Reddick gets real on his position at 23XI Racing as he gives his take from a “different lens”

Ever since his explosion into NASCAR’s premier promotion following a marvelous Xfinity campaign, clinching 2 championships, Tyler Reddick has been widely regarded as a rising talent. His late-model dirt racing roots along with his road racing capabilities make him one of the best drivers on the current roster.

However, Reddick’s 2023 season so far has been a blend of bad luck and close calls. While the #45 driver aced the road course at COTA, he came quite closer to his second victory at several tracks, Bristol being an example, but kept falling short. He even crashed out at Gateway following an unfortunate brake failure that resulted in the #45 Camry crashing into the wall, running his day.

On the other hand, Reddick’s replacement at RCR, Kyle Busch, has made the most out of his ordeals even though his #8 car had issues, especially with their aero package. Reflecting on his former team’s exceptional performance with Busch on board while he himself struggled in the #8 car last year, Reddick said, “No. It’s so many races we gave away last year. Honestly, the car had a lot of speed, the team a lot of speed and it’s rolled into this year.” 

After admitting his lost opportunity, he added, “So seeing them win three races doesn’t surprise me. I certainly feel like on our side, too, the speed is there to have won that many races. I don’t know why I made it a competition just now because it really shouldn’t be — it’s about us and ourselves.” The #45 driver then shared his joy seeing his friends at RCR ace it on the track, “It’s always great to see your friends do well when you can’t necessarily capitalize and have the best day yourself.” 

WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Busch uncharacteristically sides with Chase Elliott, slamming Bubba Wallace insider’s demand 

Reddick then opened up about his time in 23XI Racing as he revealed Denny Hamlin’s role in the camp, he also mentioned how Kyle Busch’s elder brother’s presence in the team.

Reddick talks about his time at 23XI Racing, mentioning his boss and Kurt Busch

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The NASCAR community just can’t forget Pocona 400 last year. Kurt Busch‘s sudden retirement from the sport still is a shocker for many ardent fans. During the qualifying, Busch’s Camry lost control and rammed into the wall at full throttle, concussing the driver and shortening his career. Despite the unfortunate departure from the sport, the elder Busch still is a presence in the 23XI camp.

Reflecting on his competent boss, Reddick said, “He is a boss for sure. It’s great to have someone like that in that role that owns the team, someone you raced against that me and Bubba (Wallace) can also lean on, having not just him but having a driver like Kurt Busch be involved in helping us along the way, too. We’ve got a lot of really great people in great positions.” 

The 27-year-old then credits the whole camp for their efforts, name-picking the guys at the shop. He concluded by saying, “Just a lot of really smart people at 23XI, so it starts at Denny and goes all the way down. It’s a great group.”

With the highly anticipated Chicago road course on its way, Reddick is one of those drivers to look out for as the current 13th-ranked driver is certain to make big strides to ensure his playoff chances stay alive.

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