For years, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been one of the trickiest stops on the NASCAR calendar. The one-mile oval, or “Magic Mile,” has a relatively flat 2–7 degrees of banking and long straights that punish the smallest mistakes. At this venue, track position and pit execution become vital in a race that spans 301 laps. In such an environment, even a strong qualifying run can prove meaningless. That’s the razor-thin margin Tyler Reddick recently addressed when he spoke about this tricky new racetrack.

Despite his record, Reddick has been steadily improving at Loudon since moving to 23XI Racing. Finishing sixth in the 2023 Crayon 301, this weekend, he returned with a fourth-place qualifying effort, clocking a lap at 29.356 seconds, behind Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Josh Berry. This upward trend shows he has the speed to contend, but speed alone does not decide the outcome at NHMS. As Reddick himself admits, the real test lies in adapting his approach to one of NASCAR’s most precision-demanding tracks.

Tyler Reddick opens up on cracking “The Magic Mile” code

Reddick explained why Loudon forces drivers to rethink their usual habits. “It’s a very tricky racetrack. It feels like you have such a tight window to work with as a driver, and you have to be able to move around and be comfortable doing it,” he said.

For a driver raised on steeper short tracks, the mindset shift has been a steep learning curve. The tight handling margins at NHMS magnify every steering input. Over 300 laps, those inputs determine whether a run unravels or a driver holds his ground. That small window, as Reddick puts it, becomes the difference between contending and falling back.

His adaptation has been gradual but clear. “Getting going for me on a track this flat was very different from how I grew up racing. The more I run here, the more I feel like what I’m able to do inside the car, I can actually use to my benefit.” That recognition marks a turning point.

Instead of fighting the track, he has begun to leverage his driving style to extract performance. Coupled with his recent top-five starting position, it suggests Reddick and his team have edged closer to the balance required at Loudon. That being said, the real measure comes during the long green-flag stretches when tire wear and rhythm decide outcomes.

That long-run focus is where Reddick emphasizes the discipline NHMS demands. “It takes everything, though. It’s super important at a place like this to know where to have your race car and manage it well over the course of the race or a tire run.” At Loudon, tire falloff is significant, and braking zones punish inconsistency. Crew chiefs will often tweak the wedge, shocks, or tire pressure throughout the race. But at the end of the day, it falls to the driver to maintain composure when the car drifts in and out of its comfort zone.

For Reddick, the ability to manage these cycles shows he has grown. More importantly, it is clear from his recent comments that a win would mean everything for him.

Can NHMS be the turning point for Reddick?

New Hampshire Motor Speedway has long been a proving ground where drivers must conquer both the track and their own limitations. For Tyler Reddick, the “Magic Mile” once represented one of his biggest frustrations. It was a place where he dreaded unloading the car on race weekends. With the 2025 301 carrying playoff stakes for him, where he’s sitting at the bottom, the possibility of victory here has taken on new personal meaning.

Reddick admitted that he once struggled to even “get going” on tracks like Loudon and Martinsville. Over time, however, he reframed those weaknesses as challenges worth tackling. “The race fans up here are amazing, but I dreaded driving a race car onto this racetrack and trying to figure it out when I first started,” he said. His evolution is now tied to the pursuit of not just solid results but statement wins. The kind that erases old doubts and solidifies a driver’s growth.

That growth is being tested against a formidable field. “If we win, we’re basically allowing ourselves to focus strictly on Vegas and try to do the same,” Reddick explained. He also pointed out the competition. “I saw it in practice, the 12 and 22 looked very strong, the 21 as well.”

With Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Harrison Burton showing pace, the task at Loudon is not just about personal redemption but about measuring up to Penske’s strength. The recognition of those hurdles adds weight to what a victory would signify for the No. 45 team.

For Reddick, the calculus is straightforward. A win would deliver security in the Round of 12 and affirm his evolution from a driver once overwhelmed by flat tracks to one who thrives on their demands. Even without a win, he views a “great points day” as essential, but the true milestone lies in conquering a venue that once felt insurmountable. Whether that transformation is complete will be decided under green, where the fine line between struggle and breakthrough defines his Loudon journey.