Tyler Reddick Struggles With Goodyear’s New Experiment as NASCAR Strays Away From the NHMS Success

Mother Nature has always had the upper hand, especially in the outcome of a NASCAR race. That was until wet weather tires were introduced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, much to the delight of fans, and most of the drivers on the grid, except maybe Tyler Reddick. The 28-year-old was poised to secure his second win of the season, had it not been for NASCAR’s insistence on resuming the race after a two-hour delay due to weather conditions.

With three drivers from the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series testing tires at Watkins Glen International, Tyler Reddick once again struggled with wet weather conditions, only this time it was at the historic New York road course.

Weather forces Goodyear tire test to end prematurely

With a few sprinkles at Watkins Glen International’s 2.428-mile road course, teams tested six compounds to improve NASCAR’s road course package. The Cup Series drivers Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, and Tyler Reddick were participating in the tire test, while Xfinity drivers Jesse Love, Ryan Sieg, and John Hunter Nemechek were present as well.

However, the decision to not use wet-weather tires during testing may have backfired, with staff writer at Speed Sport, Nathan Solomon tweeting, “Tyler Reddick said he spun out twice during testing today but did not damage his car. Daniel Suarez said he spun out once and Jesse Love ended up in the tire barrier in his Xfinity car.”

According to the post on X, what started as a drizzle eventually led to a downpour, affecting the tire test. He shared, “The Goodyear tire test at Watkins Glen wrapped up an hour early today due to rain.”

NASCAR’s new experiment to improve their road course package was to test six tire compounds, including the one used at Sonoma Raceway last year. The decision backfired for Tyler Reddick, who struggled for grip at Watkins Glen International, spinning out twice. Every driver was expected to complete seven laps on each compound on the first day of testing, transitioning to 20-lap-runs on the second day, if weather permits.

It was puzzling to see why teams didn’t test the wet weather package, especially considering the weather conditions at Watkins Glen International. By using them, drivers might not have been forced to abandon the test an hour earlier due to rain.

Moreover, with all three Cup Series drivers competing in the playoffs, testing the wet weather tires on a track where the second playoff race will be held would have been important. Given how much of a game-changer wet weather tires were in New Hampshire, it looks like an oversight.

Tyler Reddick was also disappointed with the New Hampshire outcome

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Lady luck wasn’t on Tyler Reddick’s side at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after he inherited the lead at the end of the second stage. The 28-year-old held his position on several restarts that followed, fighting off attacks by Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin, despite having a tire disadvantage.

When the race was finally halted, it appeared that Reddick would get his second win of the season, in a rain-shortened race that would conclude 82 laps shy of its scheduled finish. However, things didn’t go as per Reddick’s plan, as NASCAR chose to wait it out, for two hours and 14 minutes, until wet weather tires were introduced on a damp track.

The tide turned when the race resumed, with Christopher Bell overtaking Tyler Reddick on lap 242. After leading the race for 53 laps and being so close to doubling his race wins for the season, Reddick was forced to settle for a respectable sixth-place finish. A bitter outcome for the Talladega race winner. As things stand, he is fifth in the drivers’ standings in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Speaking in the post-race interview, Tyler Reddick said, “Yeah, it’s a bummer, but overall, a good finish for our Toyota Camry. I don’t know if we were going to crack the top ten straight up today for whatever reason, so we’ll take the opportunity. It didn’t shake it out, obviously, but we still got a sixth place out of it and I think that is better than we were gonna run, had it stayed dry.”

There are a few months to go until NASCAR returns to Watkins Glen International, which will feature the Xfinity Series’ Mission Foods 200 and the Cup Series’ Go Bowling, which will be the second playoff race in 2024. With Tyler Reddick competing in the playoffs, he will pray to the rain gods to be on their way to a better chance to win.

Do you think after GEICO 500 Tyler Reddick will win another race this season? Let us know in the comments!