Tyler Reddick turned a difficult starting position into an 11th-place finish Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, recovering from 32nd on the grid in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. The result was a rebound for Reddick after finishing 36th at Iowa the previous week. His Richmond race included a strong charge through the field, a wheel issue that forced him back to the rear, and a late strategy decision that cost him a chance at a top-five finish.
Despite the setbacks, Reddick stayed on the lead lap and continued gaining positions. He credited his team’s strategy and aggressive approach for helping the No. 45 Toyota recover from 32nd and reach the front before losing ground late in the race.
Tyler Reddick Recovers From 32nd at Richmond
Starting 32nd made the opening stages difficult, but Tyler Reddick made steady progress at Richmond. He said the team reached 19th by the end of Stage One after a strong strategy call.
“All the things are there. I mean, we did a really good job in Stage One. We couldn’t get going very good, just kind of stuck there. And great strategy call. I think we got up to, I think it was 19th in Stage One. In 70 laps, a lot of good progress.”
Reddick then moved inside the top 10 by the middle of Stage Two before a caution changed the race. A wheel issue sent the No. 45 Toyota to the tail of the field, but he avoided going a lap down.
“But I think when we had the issue with the wheel, I mean, we had to go to the tail of the field and didn’t go a lap down there either. And I mean, we got a break certainly with the caution,” he said.
Richmond Race Gives Reddick a Shot at Top Five
After recovering from the wheel issue, Reddick returned to the front and eventually settled into third place. The Richmond race had put him in position for a much stronger result, but the car became less comfortable during one key run.
“But yeah, I mean, we settled into third there. And yeah, unfortunately for us, like the one time all night, the car wasn’t right with me. That was that run.”
Reddick knew catching the No. 19 and No. 22 cars would be difficult, but he expected to hold a stronger position.
“And I mean, I get it, like we weren’t going to catch the 19 or the 22. But I mean, I was okay with losing a couple spots. I don’t think we thought we were going to bleed that much if it went bad doing the two versus the three.”
The drop in position kept Reddick from turning his recovery into a top-five finish.
Tyler Reddick Explains Late Richmond Strategy
Tyler Reddick finished 11th at Richmond after his late drop, but he said the result came after the team had already overcome several problems.
“So, that one stings. I mean, we probably could have very easily ran top five tonight with all the issues that we had.”
The team continued taking an aggressive approach because of the progress it had already made from 32nd.
“But yeah, I mean, we’re just being aggressive, given everything we’d already been through. Might as well just roll the dice again, and it finally got us.”
Reddick’s 11th-place finish at Richmond capped a race that saw him recover from 32nd, overcome a wheel issue and reach third before the late setback. The result gave the No. 45 team another strong finish after the difficult result at Iowa.
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