“It is fun to beat the boss”: Tyler Reddick talks about beating 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin at Kansas

Driving the #45 Toyota Camry, Tyler Reddick won the second playoff race of the 2023 season at Kansas Speedway last Sunday. The 27-year-old secured his second win of the season after beating his team’s co-owner, Denny Hamlin, on the final restart of the 400-mile-long race.

Reddick’s boss arguably had the fastest car as he led 63 laps, but the solid overtime restart of the #45 driver gave him the opportunity, which was enough to take the checkered flag.

After the race, Tyler Reddick said it was fun to beat his own boss. He knows how good Hamlin is at Kansas and how important this win was for him. Speaking about winning over 23XI Racing co-owner in the post-race interview, Reddick said:

“I know that definitely talking with them, he was, I think, better than I was at the end of the race. It’s just circumstances played out in a way to where I was able to get a better restart. But certainly it is fun to beat the boss.” (as quoted by On3 Pros News)

Tyler Reddick’s win came in the 100th appearance for 23XI Racing, and the team’s #45 car has now won three times in the last four outings at Kansas. Previously, Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace Jr. took the #45 car to victory lane in 2022.

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“We’d love to fill the Championship 4 with Toyotas” – Tyler Reddick

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season has witnessed the dominance of Toyota teams, as four drivers share eight wins among them. Tyler Reddick wants to see himself alongside three Toyota drivers, Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin, in the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway.

In the press conference, Reddick said:

“I think he’s got a couple more playoff points still banking on, but him, Martin [Truex] and Christopher [Bell], we all really share a lot of information back and forth, and ideally we’d love to fill the Championship 4 with Toyotas and may the best man win.

“But it’s a long way out, but we do a lot of great work together, and I’m really glad we have the teamwork and the partnership that we do because when we get to Talladega a little later on, us being able to work with each other will be very beneficial.”

Watch Tyler Reddick next in action at Bristol Motor Speedway for the final race of Round of 16 on September 16.