Tyler Reddick looked certain to add another victory to his 2026 season in San Diego. He battled his colleague Corey Heim for the lead in the final laps after pushing his way through from the back of the pack. However, in the end, Reddick’s expensive error immediately became one of the race’s main talking topics. But while most saw a missed opportunity, Denny Hamlin saw something entirely different.

Denny Hamlin stands behind Tyler Reddick

When questioned by Steve Taranto about the rules of engagement within 23XI Racing when teammates race each other for victory, Denny Hamlin chose to defend the driver instead of giving a media-trained answer about team orders, race control, or company procedures (which he easily could have).

“I think it speaks a lot to Tyler’s character, right? I mean, he apparently felt like Corey raced him very clean, got around him clean. And when he tried to pass him back clean, he didn’t, so he wanted to hit the reset button and try it again. I’m very proud of that, because it’s very easy when you’re racing for the win to just say ‘I’ll say I’m sorry later.’ But it speaks a lot to the character of Tyler Reddick.”

That reaction followed one of the most talked-about incidents at San Diego. Late in the event, Corey Heim found an opening after Tyler Reddick slipped exiting Turn 2. Heim didn’t force the issue. Instead, he raced alongside Reddick through Turns 3 and 4 and completed the move fairly.

Then, Reddick attempted to respond right away, as he tried a crossover maneuver heading into Turn 5 and collided with Heim’s Toyota, forcing the No. 67 into the direction of the wall. But Heim held on as Reddick backed off, and shortly afterward, Reddick suffered a flat left-front tire that effectively ended his chances, dropping him to 25th.

After the race, Tyler Reddick openly admitted to the media that he overdid the move.

“This wasn’t a good day. I certainly overdid it and ran him in the wall and initiated contact and everything. So yeah, just not the way to race a teammate. I just apologized. He raced me really clean. He got the lead fair and square. Just overdid it.”

Still, Heim credited Reddick for showing sportsmanship in such an intense moment.

“He doored me down there in five and gave it back to me,” Heim said in his post-race media interaction. “That’s something you don’t see every day. That’s a great teammate.”

In NASCAR, one of the hardest balancing acts is competing against your teammate for victory. One bad decision results in questions, anxiety, and headlines. Denny Hamlin’s philosophy on the incident was simple – the mistake mattered…but acknowledging it right away was even more crucial.

Surely, San Diego still cost Tyler Reddick crucial points. He is a five-time winner in 2026, sitting atop the driver standings all season. In fact, after the May 10 race at Watkins Glen International, he was 129 points ahead of the second-place holder. But five races later, that advantage is on the brink of disappearing, owing to a 35th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway. And now, his Coronado finish has trimmed that cushion further.

“We’re going down the wrong path right now, and we need to stop it. We’re just not getting the job done, not winning races, not having good point days. We’ve got to figure it out,” Reddick said, with frustration etched all over his face.

However, Hamlin is still urging Reddick to stand proud and tall. According to the team owner, San Diego showed exactly why Reddick can be trusted to deliver more trophies.