Tyler Reddick’s first shot in the NASCAR Championship 4 was anything but predictable. Driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, he came into the 2024 season finale with high hopes, building on an impressive year with big wins at Talladega and Michigan. But Phoenix Raceway proved to be a tough track for Reddick, who faced relentless competition from veterans like Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Despite his determination, Reddick found himself consistently running as the fourth car among the Championship 4 contenders, unable to grab the lead and, ultimately, crossing the finish line in sixth place.

Though his season ended without a title, Reddick’s performance throughout 2024 solidified his place among NASCAR’s top drivers. His Phoenix race highlighted some areas to fine-tune, and he was clear that while it was a strong year for him and the 23XI team, they weren’t quite where they wanted to be at the final race. With Logano capturing his third Cup Series championship and Blaney and William Byron securing the podium, Reddick is left hungry for more. He recently revealed how he feels about finishing 6th in the finals so let’s take a look at the scoop.

Tyler Reddick’s stance on the 2024 finals

The 2024 NASCAR Championship race at Phoenix had all the drama fans expected from a season finale. Four drivers came in with a shot at the title, but for Tyler Reddick, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible year. Reddick, who had been fighting hard to stay in the title hunt, gave it everything he had but found himself outmatched by some of the other cars on the track.

Reflecting on the race and the season, Reddick was honest and introspective in his post-race interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think we kept going the right way with our point or with our base, Camry, honestly,” he said, summing up his team’s steady progress throughout the season. “But, yeah, I don’t know. I don’t—I don’t know. But, man, I mean, the 22 [Joey Logano] and the 12 [Ryan Blaney] just could really take off on the long run.”

That was the story of the day, really. While Reddick had strong moments and solid restarts, Team Penske cars seemed to have an edge when it mattered most. “I don’t know if we had anything for that today, unfortunately, but all in all, we did a good job today. We stayed in the fight. We kept marching our way slowly forward throughout the field.”

Even as he fell short of the championship, Reddick’s positive mindset was clear. He felt his team was doing the “things that we need to do to have a shot at it.” But as he looked forward, Reddick admitted there was still work to be done. When asked what he’d learned from this championship battle, he said, “Good question. I mean, I think ultimately we just… we got to bring a faster, faster Camry next time.”

Reddick’s reflections seemed to be as much about the future as they were about that day in Phoenix. He hinted at his team’s off-season drive, saying, “We’ll be looking pretty heavily at that; see what we might be leaving on the table. Obviously, we gave everything we got; we came in here with what we thought was our best stuff, and we have work to do.”

As Reddick’s season wrapped, he showed why he’s one of NASCAR’s most driven talents: he’s always looking for ways to improve, always focused on finding those missing tenths of a second that could make all the difference in a future championship run.

The 2024 Cup Series Season ends

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The 2024 NASCAR Championship race at Phoenix Raceway was a nail-biter, with Joey Logano ultimately securing his third Cup Series championship. The race was held on November 10, 2024, in Avondale, Arizona, where Logano not only took the win but also made history, joining NASCAR’s elite group of drivers with three titles. His victory was especially sweet considering the rollercoaster journey that almost saw him miss out on a spot in the Championship 4—he only made it after Alex Bowman’s post-race disqualification before the Round of 8.

The race itself started with Martin Truex Jr. leading the field, but Logano quickly made his presence known with a bold restart. The turning point came in the final stage when Logano made a gutsy three-wide pass on Byron and Christopher Bell to seize the lead with 54 laps to go. Despite a strong charge from Ryan Blaney in the closing laps, Logano held him off to clinch the race win and the championship.

Tyler Reddick, racing for 23XI Racing, finished in 6th place, while his teammate Bubba Wallace secured 7th. With this win, Logano became the 10th driver in NASCAR history to win at least three Cup championships and this became a Team Penske 3peat. With 23XI embroiled in a lawsuit with NASCAR, do you think Tyler Reddick will have a charter to race in the Cup Series next year? Share your thoughts on if he will make it to the playoffs in 2025.