Tyler Reddick went by way of a film scene at Talladega Superspeedway however emerged together with his NASCAR Cup Collection playoff hopes intact.
The regular-season champion confronted being out of a switch spot because the laps wound down Sunday afternoon. It could have put him in a combat to advance going into the ultimate race of the spherical.
After which got here the most important crash in Cup Collection historical past with 5 laps to go. Reddick was concerned within the crash, however his No. 45 Toyota remained on monitor and he completed twentieth – forward of six of his fellow championship contenders.
“I used to be in it, for certain,” Reddick mentioned of the crash. “I used to be spinning round backward, and hit back and front. It felt like some Days of Thunder stuff. It was not enjoyable. It was loads of wrecked automobiles.”
Reddick was roughly 5 factors beneath the cutline earlier than the crash, but left Talladega with a bonus of 14 factors.
“That was (a change in fortune),” he admitted. “I didn’t know the place we had been when that occurred at first, however to see it end up the best way it did was factor. If we will take a twentieth place end and acquire on the lower, I believe you’re taking that each time.”
Sunday was not Reddick’s greatest displaying, as he earned solely 5 stage factors and averaged an 18th-place operating place. However that has been the theme of the postseason for his 23XI Racing workforce. After ending sixth within the opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Reddick has completed twentieth or worse within the final 4 races.
It led to him admitting to the priority in his camp earlier than arriving at Talladega. The pace he confirmed late within the common season hasn’t been there, nor has the workforce executed effectively. However he’s nonetheless above the cutline, and Reddick feels assured he’ll management his future on the Charlotte street course.
“The final time we actually confirmed up with any form of pace was a street course,” Reddick mentioned. “I do know at Watkins Glen it actually went off the rails. However the floor [at Charlotte] isn’t altering, the tires aren’t altering, and people are all knowns that we’ve raced on and had good pace on. The final time we ran on this tire that we’re taking to the Roval was Sonoma, and we ran up entrance for a majority of that race.
“I be ok with it. The adjustments to the course – sometimes, anytime one thing adjustments on any kind of monitor, it helps me, I really feel like. It ranges the sphere slightly bit. It must be good for us.”
