Tyler Reddick opened the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season with back-to-back wins at Daytona International Speedway and EchoPark Speedway, becoming just the sixth driver in NASCAR history to win the first two races of a season. For his father, Clarence Reddick, the victories were about seeing a familiar edge return.
The 23XI Racing driver claimed the Daytona 500 with a last-lap pass and followed it up with a double-overtime comeback in Atlanta. Speaking after the second win, Tyler’s father noted the return of his aggressive style:
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“As dad, I like to see him doing those things because that’s very Tyler. He’s not racing that way, then I feel like, okay, something’s holding him back. But when I see him doing those things, he’s always done, and I was glad to see them, and I was glad to see it work out. And I knew it was going to be Checkers or Wreckers. He was all in at that point. All in.”
At Daytona, Tyler Reddick timed his move perfectly. He led only the final lap of the race but positioned himself in the lead pack as chaos unfolded behind him. Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tangled in the trioval, and Reddick surged ahead at the right moment to secure his first Daytona 500 victory.
Atlanta was different. Reddick was a factor throughout the night, leading a race-high 53 laps. Even after sustaining right-front damage in a late accident that tore away part of the fender, he kept the No. 45 Toyota near the front.
In double overtime, Reddick lined up inside the first two rows, received a key push from Chase Briscoe, and cleared the field by 0.164 seconds. He even leaned into the moment off track, making an appearance on WWE. He now carries the momentum into COTA, where he won his first NASCAR Cup race.
Tyler Reddick finds balance after a frustrating 2025 NASCAR campaign, says father Clarence Reddick
The strong start comes after a difficult 2025 NASCAR season for both Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing. After reaching the Championship 4 in 2024, the organization managed only one win – Bubba Wallace’s Indianapolis triumph – and neither driver advanced beyond the Round of 12.
Reddick went winless for the first time since 2021 and led less than 200 laps the entire year. He was rarely in a position to control races and struggled to find rhythm even once the playoffs began. Reflecting on that stretch, Clarence Reddick acknowledged that adjustments may have dulled his son’s instinctive edge.
When asked about Reddick’s aggressive style, he added:
“Oh, absolutely. I think there’s been some work to try to tame him a little bit, to have it be more consistent. But I think there’s a balance in there. So he’s got to have that part of it when he needs it, for sure.”
With NASCAR reintroducing the chase format, which rewards season-long consistency rather than a win-and-in approach, Tyler Reddick was already viewed as a contender entering 2026. Two victories in the first two races have now erased last year’s frustration quickly.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
