Big Gains For 23XI Racing In Cup Series Playoff Opener

Tyler Reddick led 23XI Racing with a runner-up finish in Sunday's Southern 500. (John Harrelson/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

DARLINGTON, S.C. – In a week full of headlines, 23XI Racing knew the start of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs presented an opportunity to write different stories.

And while both Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace came up short of winning the Cook Out Southern 500, they both positioned themselves well to open round one of the postseason.

Reddick came home second and Wallace finished sixth in the 76th running of NASCAR’s oldest and most grueling speedway race. The two teammates both finished inside the top 10, as Reddick tied his best Southern 500 finish and Wallace set a career high in the Labor Day weekend crown jewel.

“The one time we got ahead of [race winner Chase Briscoe], we were just a little too tight. Then he was able to get back [by],” said Reddick.

The 29-year-old fought to the end after surviving what could’ve been a disastrous night to start by sticking with his No. 45 team’s game plan.

To open Sunday night, Reddick’s race was almost ruined from a lap-one spin by Josh Berry. After being on the outside of Berry’s spinning car, Reddick was pinned against the wall with not much room to escape.

After slight contact, he was able to wiggle out of trouble by miraculously saving his car with a slide then a stirring correction to prevent further damage than just a left-side door doughnut.

Track position from his fourth-place qualifying effort allowed Reddick to settle in and charge forward after his race was almost ended before it really started.

From there the Corning, Calif., native was able to dominate his race strategy and stay within the top five throughout the duration of the night. It wasn’t until the closing 30 laps where he got an opportunity at Briscoe, who had dominated the proceedings and swept both stages.

After stalking him for nearly the entire final restart, Reddick just didn’t have enough to get by Briscoe. He tried running the wall, tried running the middle and low lines and arced each corner to try and get to Briscoe’s back bumper, but it never materialized.

Reddick also had pressure from third place finisher Erik Jones in the final corner, but he was able to hold on to his third runner-up in four years at Darlington, with two coming in the Southern 500.

“We were better than [Briscoe] on long runs. He could fire off a whole lot better [on restarts]. I think that was the lone difference tonight,” said Reddick. “I could get close, and I know we had a long run there, but it just unfortunately seemed like the last run the balance wasn't quite as good as it has been the rest of the night on the long run.”

While Reddick was looking for his first race win since October of 2024, his victory was a major gain in the playoff standings. Due to not winning in the regular season, Reddick entered below the cut line. After leading three laps and capturing 18 stage points, he left Darlington fourth in the standings, 35 points above the cut.

“All in all a really solid night for points. I really want to win here. It's frustrating to finish second, going for it, like I did last spring,” he said. “I wish I could have been just a little bit closer. When I dove off in turn three there [on the final lap], I was already sideways. I learned from last spring that that doesn't work. It was a good solid day, but hopefully one day we'll win here at Darlington.”

Reddick’s 23XI counterpart Wallace had a strong day at Darlington also. After overcoming a slow green flag pit stop, he was able to battle back for his fifth top 10 in seven races at the South Carolina track.

Bubba Wallace (Rusty Jarrett/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

“I was doing my best not to overdrive the corners the last couple laps. I could see [Reddick] really challenging [Briscoe],” said Wallace. “All in all, it was a good day for our team. Great playoff run and just solid execution.

“We had a couple mistakes on pit road, and I had a couple mistakes on the track. But we were able to rebound really well. Our U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry was solid,” he said. “Hats off to Toyota. I let [A.J. Allmendinger] get in front of me to prevent five Toyotas in the top five, unfortunately, but still solid.”

The 31-year-old, like his teammate, qualified well by starting eighth to somewhat eliminate the challenge of having to drive through the field. He also was able to score 10 stage points to raise himself to 25 points above the cut.

The Mobile, Ala., native said his car’s handling in traffic is what prevented him from contending for the win. But after regrouping in the middle portion of the race, he earned his fifth top 10 in the last seven weeks.

“We didn't overstep the balance on our car, and we hit base hits all day. I wanted to limit the mistakes. A lot of people had bad days; I didn’t want to add to that factor,” he said. “That's what it’s all about, keeping the aggression levels in check, keeping the big picture [in mind], and enjoying the moment.”

Next week the two teammates will look to tackle World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis. At Gateway, Reddick has a best finish of fourth from 2024, while Wallace will look to improve upon a best result of 21st.

“To show up and put together two solid races for our team, I think that just [speaks] volumes to everybody back at Airspeed. Appreciate all the hard work,” Wallace added. “We’ve got to keep it going, first race we can check that off the list. Nine more to go, so excited for the opportunity ahead of us. Both of our teams can go really far.”

Coverage of the Enjoy Illinois 300 is slated for Sunday, Sept. 7 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.