“We wanted to prioritize setting up to win the race,” Tyler Reddick shared after his elimination from the playoffs at the Charlotte Roval, missing the Round of 8 by 14 points. Reddick entered the Bank of America Roval 400 with high expectations after edging Shane van Gisbergen in qualifying by a slim 0.032 seconds to claim the pole. Solid stage positions early on kept hopes alive for advancement, but the final stage brought an unexpected strategic blunder that shifted everything. One driver with 59 wins is now ready to share his views on this.

Denny Hamlin opened up on his podcast about the No. 45 team’s decisions, questioning if they fumbled by chasing a win over steady points. “I think at that point, yeah, you probably maybe play the race a little differently because if he goes in there and he scores top three stage points in each stage, he would have had an extra how many,” Hamlin said, noting Reddick got nine points in stage two after placing second, but he could have aimed for more. However, his Stage 1 was rather a struggle as he finished 21st.

Going into the race 23 points below the cutline, Tyler Reddick‘s crew opted for long runs to position for a victory, but tire drop-off, unrecognized until Saturday practice, complicated things. Hamlin pointed out that this left Reddick buried in stage three, leading to a finish that couldn’t close the gap.

“Listen, nobody’s beating SVG right now. So to make that call, I think, was a bad decision,” one host added, with Hamlin agreeing it forced them into a tough spot. Reddick’s early lead faded as van Gisbergen and Larson passed him, partly because crew chief Billy Scott instructed tire saving from lap two. Additionally, they stretched their run in hopes of catching a late caution, but it never came. And as their strategy backfired, it cost them track position.

In the background, 23XI’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR added pressure, but Hamlin traced the hole back to a poor New Hampshire performance earlier in the Round of 12, where he finished P21.

Reddick reflected post-race, admitting, “I think you could pick it apart—a couple restarts and what not, just kind of, as the race unfolded, our long run was not where it needed to be with the top guys.” He suggested that chasing points harder might have helped, especially learning they missed by only 14.

Hamlin suggested a balanced approach: max stage points first, then push for the win if needed. This could have positioned Reddick better against cutline rivals finishing around 12th, avoiding the bury in traffic that capped his day.

While Hamlin’s hindsight offers lessons from the Roval fallout, others in the NASCAR world see a brighter path ahead for Reddick. One expert’s forward-looking view stands out amid the disappointment.

Steve Letarte’s confident outlook for Tyler Reddick

Steve Letarte, the former crew chief turned analyst, isn’t dwelling on Reddick’s playoff exit, instead forecasting a strong rebound. Despite the Roval setback, Letarte believes Reddick’s natural talent positions him well for future success. This comes as Reddick deals with personal challenges, including his infant son’s tumor diagnosis, which has weighed heavily during a season marked by 23XI’s legal battles.

“I think that Tyler Reddick: he’s the one to me that has just the raw firepower. When I see a guy behind the wheel, man, he just does a lot of things that are very, very natural,” Letarte said, praising Reddick’s instinctive driving that shone last year with a Championship 4 appearance. Finishing fourth in 2024 surprised Letarte, who attributes it to off-track distractions rather than skill gaps. Reddick’s road course prowess, evident in past performances, supports this optimism for deeper runs.

“I’m shocked that he’s winless this year. So, if I had to have one guy who was bumped out that I think could make the round of eight next year, I think Reddick would be my obvious choice,” Letarte added, highlighting Reddick as the top pick among eliminated drivers to reach the Round of 8 in 2026. This prediction draws on Reddick’s consistent speed and adaptability, even amid turmoil. Fans can take heart knowing such insights point to growth beyond this year’s hurdles.