Tyler Reddick could have parted ways with 23XI Racing had the U.S. Federal Court not granted a preliminary injunction against the team’s antitrust lawsuit on Wednesday, December 18. However, as per recent developments, the team can purchase a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing and field a third car in 2025.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell ruled in favor of 2XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the only two teams who did not sign NASCAR’s newest charter agreement. This means the teams will be allowed to run as chartered teams next year and Reddick will continue driving for the team through the upcoming season.
Reddick’s original contract with the team said he would drive a chartered car in NASCAR’s premier racing series. Had 23XI Racing not bagged this major win, the California native would have been a free agent in 2025.
Renowned sports writer John Newby reported the same through a recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter). He wrote,
“According to the court documents, Tyler Reddick gave notice that 23XI Racing was in breach of his contract. If the preliminary injunction was not granted by Dec. 18, he would have the ability to leave the team.”
Reddick joined 23XI Racing back in 2023, replacing Kurt Busch behind the wheel of the No. 45. He was originally tabbed to join the organization in 2024, but 23XI Racing got his previous contract with Richard Childress Racing rescinded following Busch’s career-ending injury at Pocono, thus paving the way for an early onboard.
Reddick rounded off 2024 with three dominant wins, 12 top-5s and 21 top-10s. His next race is on February 2, when the new season kicks off with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Fans can watch him in action on FOX from 8 pm ET onwards or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Tyler Reddick logs career-best season amid ongoing legal battle
2024 marked a career-best season for Tyler Reddick. As per NASCAR, he earned career-high top fives (12), top 10s (21), and laps led (597) this year. Besides that, he also recorded an average finish of 13.2 beating last year’s 15.7.
Here is an official post by NASCAR that suggests the same:
While 23XI Racing was battling NASCAR in court, Reddick won the decisive playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 27, thus clinching a spot in the coveted Championship 4 for the first time in his career.
Team co-owner and former NBA star Michael Jordan exclaimed (via NASCAR),
“Little kid (Reddick) drove his a** off, and I’m proud of him. He didn’t let go. He just went for it, and we needed it. We needed it.”
At 28, Tyler Reddick is eyeing big things in NASCAR. Notably, he is the only driver to have bagged back-to-back Xfinity Series championships with two different teams; 2018 for JR Motorsports and 2019 for Richard Childress Racing.
He also won the regular season championship in 2019. As of today, Reddick owns eight Cup Series, 10 Xfinity Series, and three Craftsman Truck Series wins.
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