Tyler Reddick is taking full advantage of NASCAR’s new championship format, rattling off three straight wins for 23XI Racing. Those victories have put him in a commanding position, making him tough to catch for much of the field. And according to NASCAR insiders Freddie Kraft and Tommy Baldwin, the rest of the garage should see it as a serious warning sign.

NASCAR experts’ take on 2026 Cup Series grid

On a recent episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace’s spotter and NASCAR analyst Tommy Baldwin discussed the race at COTA and the impact of Tyler Reddick’s hot start. During the conversation, they highlighted how Reddick’s win gave him a significant edge under NASCAR’s updated points format and how victories now carry more weight than in previous seasons.

“Things are different this year,” Kraft said. “With all those extra points for winning a race. He [Tyler] had a 17-point gap on the second-highest point scorer at Daytona, like a 16 or 17 point gap on the second-highest score at Atlanta, 13 points yesterday because Ty got all those extra stage points. You go back and look at those last year’s races, the guys that won the race weren’t even the highest scoring guys in those races.”

Baldwin agreed with Kraft, emphasizing that Reddick has set the benchmark with three wins in three races. He added that the rest of the field now faces the challenge of closing the gap before it grows even larger.

“I mean, it’s just like, all right, we’re 75 points ahead,” Baldwin said of Reddick’s advantage. “We can do this. We can do this now. We can do this now, where these other guys are like, well, wow, now to catch him, we’re going to have to do this. So now the 45 is on offense, right? And now a lot of guys are on defense now.”

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Entering 2026, NASCAR shifted its championship format from the playoff system back to a Chase-style structure, eliminating the old “win and you’re in” rule. Under the new format, the top 10 drivers in points after the 26-race regular season advance to the next round, and the driver with the highest overall points total at the end is crowned champion.

The revised system places greater emphasis on race wins by awarding valuable bonus points, a contrast to the previous playoff format. That structure allows a driver who strings together victories to build a meaningful cushion in the standings, as Tyler Reddick has done with his three straight wins.

At the same time, the gap is not insurmountable. Other drivers can close it by collecting wins and consistently staying inside the top 10 in points, a point Baldwin noted on the podcast. While the field looks to chip away at Reddick’s advantage, 23XI Racing will enjoy the momentum while it lasts.

Tyler Reddick bounced back after an underwhelming 2025

Tyler Reddick endured an underwhelming 2025 season, finishing the year without a win. After previously winning three races and qualifying for the playoffs, going winless marked a noticeable setback in his performance.

That slump unfolded while 23XI Racing was locked in a lawsuit with NASCAR, creating uncertainty around the team’s future. To make matters more difficult, longtime sponsor Monster Energy parted ways, adding further pressure on Reddick and the organization.

“Big-time moments have happened for me in 2026,” Reddick said, reflecting on the dramatic turnaround. “I’ve never won back-to-back in my career. I don’t know how many times I’ve won 3 in a row in my lifetime. To turn the corner and make 2026 a good year … just yeah, to get my second win here … to have to hold off Shane, we’ll keep going as long as we can.”

Now, Reddick sits atop the standings with 186 points after wins at Daytona, Atlanta, and COTA. His closest challengers are teammate Bubba Wallace and Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, who rank second and third with 116 and 114 points, respectively.