The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series is a pressure cooker, and we’re only halfway through the regular season. With nine races left, the playoff chase is tighter than a lug nut at pit row. There have been eleven different winners in the first 17 races, and the list could grow. Teams are throwing everything they’ve got at these tracks, from razor-sharp strategies to cars pushed to their breaking point. For 23XI Racing, that breaking point hit hard at Pocono, and it’s got the garage buzzing.

Let’s rewind to November 15, 1992, at the Hooters 500 in Atlanta. A classic NASCAR gut punch. Bill Elliott, in the thick of the championship fight, saw his shot at the title vanish when his brakes gave out, sending him to the garage. It’s a stark lesson. In this sport, one tiny glitch can derail a dream. Now, in 2025, that same vibe is simmering as 23XI Racing rolls into Atlanta. Something went down at Pocono, and it’s bigger than a bad day. Let’s break it down.

Tyler Reddick Reviews 23XI’s Car Issue

Tyler Reddick didn’t mince words after Pocono. The 23XI Racing trio. Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Riley Herbst ran into a nightmare that wasn’t in the script. “When one had an issue, we were all alarmed. When Bubba had his issue, we knew we were in big trouble… it seemed like I was only a couple laps away from having a failure myself.” Reddick said during an interview. He was talking about brake rotor failures that plagued all three cars during the June 22, 2025, race. Reddick himself noticed that his car is going to face the same problem. He switched his lane more cautiously and finished his race, getting P32, when Wallace’s blowout triggered a caution, sparing the third car from disaster.

.@TylerReddick says the brake issues on all 3 @23XIRacing cars last week in Pocono were a team-based issue, that has hopefully been resolved.

“@BubbaWallace’s caution essentially kept me in the race…I was a few laps away from the same issue”#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/LBwVpR0L5T

— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) June 27, 2025

When a reporter asked what the reason was behind all the cars facing the same problem? Reddick owned it. “Just too aggressive with the package we went with.” No defective parts here, he confirmed with a quick “Yep” to a reporter’s question about it being a team call, not a supplier slip-up. Pocono Raceway, with its 2.5-mile triangle and long straights, chews up brakes like a pit bull with a bone. 23XI Racing rolled the dice with their setup, and it crapped out, leaving them limping through the race, praying the rotors held.

But Reddick’s not sweating it too hard. “ There’s a lot of opportunities for new winners, so I’d say to score well and win, we have to do the same thing… I don’t think we need to be desperate and throw away second place to finish the winner race, but if we keep putting ourselves in the top five, we should be able to eventually win a race.” he said, keeping his cool with nine tracks left. The team’s already adjusted their game plan, especially for Atlanta’s 1.54-mile quad-oval, where brakes get a breather. Still, Pocono was a loud warning in a season this cutthroat. Another misstep could be the endgame.

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Wallace’s bold stand: NASCAR safety under fire

Bubba Wallace isn’t one to hold back, and his latest comments are once again shining a light on safety concerns in NASCAR—this time about the role of spotters. During a recent interview, Wallace called out what he sees as a serious oversight, particularly at tracks like Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. “The way spotters are used at some tracks is complete BS,” he said, clearly frustrated.

His biggest gripe was about Turn One in Mexico, a sharp right-hander that quickly leads into a tight hairpin. It’s one of the most critical sections on the circuit, where spotters are supposed to help drivers navigate cleanly and safely. But according to Wallace, the people tasked with keeping things under control couldn’t even see the action properly. “Do you know where they had the spotters standing? We couldn’t see anything,” he pointed out.

That lack of visibility can be dangerous, not just for drivers, but also for the spotters trying to relay crucial information. Add in unpredictable weather or crowded restarts, and things can go south quickly. We already saw how tricky that corner can be when Kyle Busch spun out and took others with him during the most recent race. Wallace’s comments are a reminder that track safety isn’t just about barriers and helmets. It’s also about giving every team the tools they need to stay out of trouble.