Tyler Reddick just might have an edge over his rival/team owner, Denny Hamlin, while dueling at the Brickyard 400. The 23XI Racing driver secured himself a pole position for the oval race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first one after the 2020 season. Meanwhile, Hamlin will start right beside him on the front row in P2.

Having witnessed the past weekend’s race at Pocono, track position and restarts are going to be vital for the drivers at the Brickyard. Therefore, those with an early advantage in the race might have a legitimate shot at winning the prestigious event. But, it’s easier said than done, considering how chaotic restarts can be.

However, Tyler Reddick is expected to go all in in a hunt for the historic win. But, he is not sure what his team owner’s approach will be. He wouldn’t want to see one of his own race cars being torn to pieces trying to battle for the lead, or would he?

Denny Hamlin is in a sticky spot at Brickyard 400

The start of yesterday’s Xfinity Series race was total carnage, with multiple race cars being torn to pieces. The likes of Sam Mayer and Josh Berry were involved in that early pile-up and had to bow out early from the race. Similar scenes could unfold in the Cup race, where a pack of drivers are battling for the regular-season championship while others are desperate to make the playoffs.

However, Tyler Reddick isn’t looking for a damaging outcome battling with Hamlin in the front of the field. Even if he does push the limits, he might have an edge over the No. 11 car. Sharing the reason behind the same, he jokingly said, “If I tear it up, he’s paying for it. It’s his car; I’ll try not to use that against him, but I honestly feel like we do race each other very fair but hard. I’ve learned a lot about racing from him as well. I feel like we’ve got a good level of mutual respect and trust with one another.”

Hamlin has won all the other three crown jewel races: the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, and the Coca-Cola 600. But the Brickyard 400 has eluded him yet, so who knows? He’ll take his gloves off to tick off his win on his bucket list. Sharing his thoughts on the same, Reddick added, “I know how bad he wants to win here. I know how bad I want to win here, so it will be something we manage throughout the whole day, and we’ll just see how it goes.”

In all seriousness, Reddick is a serious contender to win the Cup Series race at the Brickyard. At a time when the likes of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are trying to find their mojo back, the California native has sneakingly made progress and is a genuine contender for the regular season championship.

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Can Reddick repeat his heroics of 2022 at the Brickyard?

Only two active NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, have won the oval race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So there’s a huge possibility that one of the upcoming talents could script history by clinching a win at the iconic race track. Reddick knows what it feels like to win at Brickyard, as he won the road course race back in 2022, but he certainly would want to add an oval win to his list.

The story for the No. 45 car in 2024 has been oh so close, but yet so far from winning. The team’s seven top 5 finishes certainly are a testament to how good they have been this season. A win at Brickyard would serve multiple purposes for Reddick and his team. On one hand, he would be added to the short list of drivers winning the Brickyard 400, moreover, he would catapult to the top of the points standings, edging close to the regular-season championship title.

While Reddick was all smiles and jokes about his battle on track with his team owner, deep down he is a fierce competitor looking to make history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.