Tyler Reddick reveals when the fierce charter lawsuit involving 23XI Racing finally “caught his interest”

Tyler Reddick, who won the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship with 23XI Racing, recently opened up about the antitrust lawsuit filed against NASCAR by Front Row Motorsports and his team. While he maintained that the whole process didn't make him uncomfortable despite the team's charters being under threat for the 2025 season, he admitted that the lawsuit caught his interest during the off-season.

In October 2024, two NASCAR teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, filed a lawsuit against NASCAR and its CEO, Jim France. They claimed that NASCAR was acting like a monopoly, meaning it had too much control over stock car racing. The teams argued that NASCAR's rules and agreements were unfair and made it hard for other teams to compete.

In a recent conversation with the Associated Press, Tyler Reddick shared how he has kept his faith in the team and its owners as he is gearing up for the official start of the season for the Daytona 500.

"I wouldn’t say it was uncomfortable, but certainly I was paying attention to it. I don’t think I ever really got uncomfortable in the whole process. I have a lot of faith in our owners. I believe in them. I believe in their process. That’s why I came here, and that’s why I’m still here. But it certainly caught my interest in the middle of the offseason,"

He further explained that while the legal battle is expected to continue as both sides present their arguments, the team is fully focused on getting on with the 2025 season.

"The vibes are good. Everyone’s focused and getting ready for the season. From that standpoint, I’m in a happy place," he added.

The teams also criticized the "charter" system, which started in 2016. This system was supposed to help teams by guaranteeing them spots in races and sharing revenue. However, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports felt the terms were unfair and didn't sign the updated agreement for 2025. After trying to negotiate for over two years without success, they decided to take legal action.

The lawsuit could have cost both the teams their charters in the premier Stock Car racing series, but in December 2024, a judge granted a preliminary injunction allowing both teams to continue racing with their charters in 2025 while the lawsuit is ongoing.

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Tyler Reddick explained his woes in the Clash at Bowman Gray

NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Championship - Source: Imagn

Bowman Gray Stadium, known for its chaotic racing environment, proved challenging for Tyler Reddick during the Cook Out Clash. After winning Heat Race 4 and securing a second-row starting spot, Reddick looked set for a strong performance. However, mechanical issues and handling problems ruined his hopes of victory.

Despite his determination, Reddick only managed an 8th-place finish. Reflecting on the race, he highlighted the differences between Bowman Gray and the L.A. Coliseum, which hosted the season-opening exhibition for the past three years.

"There’s not as much room to really get physical with one another, Reddick was quoted as saying by Motociclismo. “You do that in L.A., but here, the amount of room you have is a lot less. You really have to lobby for position on the racetrack."

Things got much worse for Tyler Reddick after the team had to repair his car in the second half of the race. The #45 driver explained after the race that his car didn't feel safe to him as it wasn't turning as well as it did in the first half of the race which forced him to run more on the outside line as the car never really recovered till the end.

"Once we got back going and I could get into rhythm, it was okay for a while, it just didn’t ever really recover back to where it was in the first half of the race... After we had all those repairs and we finally got going, my car just… was just not quite safe," he added.

Superspeedways have not been the strongest suit for Tyler Reddick, especially the Daytona International Speedway where his average finish is 24.9 across 11 races. However, he is determined to change that in the upcoming Daytona 500, which is scheduled for February 16.