“We went on a bit of lull”: Tyler Reddick reflects on 2024 playoff struggle after regular-season dominance

Last year, Tyler Reddick claimed the regular season championship with his dominant performance throughout the 26-race schedule, but he wasn’t as competitive in the playoffs which somehow cost him his maiden Cup Series championship. Reddick recently discussed the challenges his team faced during last year’s playoffs after winning the regular-season title.

Tyler Reddick won the 2024 Cup Series regular season championship with a 10th-place finish at the regular season finale at Darlington Raceway. He was one point ahead of rival Kyle Larson to score the triumph. However, as the playoffs progressed, inconsistency and misfortune hampered his playoff run, but the #45 driver bounced back with a win at Homestead when it mattered the most to lock his spot in Championship 4.

Speaking to FOX Sports’s Bob Pockrass ahead of the 2025 season, Tyler Reddick admitted that he and his #45 23XI Racing team struggled early in the playoff season, failing to maintain the momentum that earned them the regular season title.

“Yeah, I think it was just, you know, timings, and sports can be interesting. I feel like we had that accomplishment, and we kind of went on a little bit of a lull to start the playoffs, just not doing the things that got us that regular season championship. But it wasn't planned this way, but it put us up against some adversity through each of the rounds. And when it came time to advance or go home, we did.”

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Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing have everything to win championship

The 29-year-old Corning, California, native had been consistent in the last two seasons, finishing sixth and fourth in the 2023 and 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship standings.

In the aforementioned interview, Reddick admitted that he and his #45 23XI Racing Toyota team need to improve in the final stage of the championship.

“Obviously, the last step we got to still work on once we get there, but it seemed like when things were not going great for us, we were still able to get the job done and make it on to the next round of the playoffs,” Reddick said.

In 2024, Tyler Reddick amassed three wins, 12 top-five, and 21 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.1 in 36 races. He will look to replicate the same performance with an aim to clinch his maiden Cup title.

Catch Reddick in action at the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16 on FOX.