Tyler Reddick had a lot on his mind before the FireKeepers Casino 400, where his mentor passed away. However, the emotion of grief soon turned to happiness as he won the race and dedicated this victory to Scott Bloomquist. While Reddick showed amazing pace throughout the weekend, Denny Hamlin was the pole sitter, with Reddick in the front row.

Not winning from pole position is disappointing for any driver, but in Denny Hamlin’s situation, he was not that hurt. Tyler Reddick drives for 23XI Racing, and being the co-owner of the team, it also became a win for Denny Hamlin. To explain the emotions going through his mind, Hamlin described how it feels to win one but lose another in NASCAR, as he has the unique situation of being both a driver for one team and an owner for another.

Denny Hamlin’s take on 23XI Racing winning the Michigan race

During the post-race interview after the FireKeepers Casino 400, Denny Hamlin was asked, “You alluded to being leading the points for the first time, but for this young organization, how significant is today in that sense for you and for the group?” Hamlin went from pole position to P9 by the end of the race, and although this is a disappointing result, the 23XI Racing owner has a reason to celebrate.

Hamlin explains his state of mind after the race, saying, “I’m not going to say anybody, but almost anybody can be leading the points after three races or two races, right? We’re 27 races in, and all the averages have started to work themselves out.”

23XI Racing is doing quite well this season as they are displaying peak performance, and Hamlin explained how that turns out to be a problem for him, saying, “It’s awesome to see how tough they are. I mean, week in, week out, they’re tough out, and certainly, it’s going to make my path a lot harder. But I mean, that’s what I started the team for.”

Explaining his situation as both a driver and an owner, Denny Hamlin said, “The crux of being a team owner and a driver is that you know you’re going to have to deal with the days that they beat you.” Although Hamlin would have loved to win the race, he explained that when his team wins, he feels 80% of the excitement of winning a race himself.

Tyler Reddick’s performance was impressive, to say the least, and while this might be another win after already making it into the playoffs, there is more to the win than meets the eye.

How does Tyler Reddick winning at Michigan help Denny Hamlin?

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In the interview, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver continued to explain that the win for Reddick was a win for him. This is because 23XI Racing’s performance has started to draw the attention of many sponsors. Having the McDonald’s “M” on the hood and in the victory lane is a feeling of great accomplishment, and that is why even a P9 finish resulted in a big smile on Hamlin’s face.

Although Reddick took the win, his teammate Bubba Wallace was involved in the crash that took out five cars. Despite getting back into the race, Bubba Wallace struggled to get back into contention as he finished P26. As of now, the team has one car in the playoffs and another one still trying to find its way there, and Bubba Wallace will have to step his game up if he wants to prove that he is on the same level as his teammate.

This was not Reddick’s first win, as he already won the 2024 GEICO 500, and with his second win, he is trying to gain an advantage before the playoffs begin. Overall, this is a huge win for 23XI Racing, as being in the playoffs will lead to more funds and exposure for the car to attract more sponsors, which ultimately benefits Denny Hamlin’s pockets.

That being said, do you think that 23XI Racing will be able to get Bubba Wallace into the playoffs this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.