Another race weekend and another Tyler Reddick masterclass. The latest race that to be conquered was the Kansas Speedway, but this win was not as dominant as people thought it would be. He triumphed over Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe and a put out Denny Hamlin who nearly won the race if not for a late caution. Nevertheless, many in the NASCAR community found his win impressive, including the likes of Steve Letarte and Kyle Petty.

Kyle Petty gave the secret behind the good form of Tyler Reddick

On the back of his fifth win in 2026, theTyler Reddick hype train is full steam ahead. According to Alex Weaver, fans are already dubbing the #45 driver as the ‘GOAT’ and the best NASCAR driver. People also alluded to the Michael Jordan effect and his star is rubbing off of Reddick.

Even ex crew chief Steve Letarte admitted that Reddick’s star is rapidly rising. He acknowledged that in sports, some athletes become famous for things unrelated to performance. Tyler Reddick is the complete opposite, as his excellent form is what is boosting his popularity

At Kansas, Reddick was far from the best car on that day. Instead, he worked hard for the win, having to chase down his own boss, Denny Hamlin and battle it out with him. Then when the final caution came and went, he had Hamlin and several other drivers breathing down his neck.

Kyle Petty told Inside the Race, “It is breathtaking, I’m telling you. We’ve said it before on here. To start the year the way he did, no one else, all the Hall of Famers, no on else in the history of the sport had ever won the first three. That was amazing unto itself, and he just keeps adding to that. Just keeps adding to it, because Toyota does have the hot hand. I think he is a, I’m going to give him a rising star. Last year he had a lot of issues, he didn’t show up last year. To be a star, I think you got to be there, week in and week out. To be a superstar, you need to be Denny Hamlin. You got to be somebody like that and get those big numbers and win those big races.”

Petty’s point seems clear: Reddick has the talent, but sustaining this level across a full season is what separates stars from champions. So far, five wins in nine races suggests he’s capable of both. But can he actually close it out?

Can the 23XI Racing driver go all the way?

To be honest, this might be a case of counting one’s chickens before they hatch. However, there is an interesting trend that is showing, that puts him in a strong position. As mentioned earlier, he won five races out of nine this season, and three of those came on intermediate ovals.

The next race is at the Talladega Superspeedway, and that race track is unpredictable. Beyond that, there are plenty of intermediate tracks where Reddick could potentially open up the gap.

The season is still long, so there is time for other drivers to get some momentum and catch up to him. That said, 23XI Racing boss and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin is 105 points adrift. All he needs is a clean-sweep in the next two races and he is closer than ever.

Ryan Blaney is also shouldering all the hopes of Ford, unless teammates Joey Logano and Austin Cindric step up. Blaney’s form is also dependent on whether his pit crew can actually be competent for the rest of the season.

On the Chevrolet front, most of their teams have been struggling, but Hendrick Motorsports is the cream of the crop. Chase Elliott has already won a race, and the likes of Kyle Larson and William Byron are well in the mix. All it takes is one win from either of them, and the title race is blown wide open.