On paper, Tyler Reddick has already conquered the “track too tough to tame.” But his Goodyear 400 victory earlier this year has done little to ease the frustration of the Cook Out Southern 500.
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On Sunday, Reddick looked poised to finally add the crown jewel to his track record, until Stage 2. Instead, a late-race twist once again left him short. Afterward, the 23XI Racing star could barely hide how badly he wanted the elusive Southern 500 win.
“We’re already devastated right now. Yeah, great points day, big picture for us. But yeah, I really want to win this race bad. I really do,” Tyler Reddick said in a post-race interview after finishing third in the Cook Out Southern 500.
The result was another painful chapter in Reddick’s relationship with Darlington. He has already won at the Lady in Black, taking the Goodyear 400 in the spring. But the crown jewel has continued to escape him on the same track.
This time, it looked like Reddick had the car to finally change that.
Starting from the pole after qualifying was set per the NASCAR rulebook, the 23XI Racing driver immediately established himself at the front. Reddick remained there for much of the opening stage and eventually secured the Stage 1 win.
The No. 45 Toyota continued to look competitive through Stage 2. However, a pit-road mistake threatened to undo his strong run.
During a Lap 189 pit stop, the left-front wheel did not get tight. Reddick had the first pit stall, leaving the team with little room to correct the mistake without losing valuable track position.
Front tire changer Devin Lester caught the problem and tapped on Reddick’s hood to alert him. Reddick then reversed back into his pit box so the crew could tighten the wheel properly.
The team managed to prevent the situation from becoming much worse. But the mistake still cost Reddick important track position at a critical point in the race.
“I think for us, I thought where our car went was more so because of where we were track position-wise, and just felt a bit behind there,” Reddick explained.
Despite the setback, he stayed in the fight. Reddick managed to score a pair of stage points, bringing his total for the night to 12, before gradually working his way back toward the front.
The race then took another turn after a short red flag caused by light drizzle. With fewer than 30 laps remaining, crew chief Billy Scott made the call to bring Reddick to pit road.
That strategy left the No. 45 restarting outside the top five, but Reddick wasted little time making up ground.
Once the green flag returned, he charged forward and quickly passed Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe. The late surge put Reddick right back into contention, giving him another chance to finally close the deal at Darlington.
However, Christopher Bell had already established himself as the driver to beat. Reddick ultimately crossed the finish line third, 2.5 seconds behind, as Ty Gibbs finished runner-up.
Even without the victory, Reddick once again showed why Darlington remains one of his strongest tracks. He led 74 laps, his highest total since the Coca-Cola 600 more than three months ago.
Reddick has already proven he can win at Darlington. What he wants now is the Southern 500 trophy, and Sunday offered another reminder of how close he can get without taking it home.
The focus now shifts to the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway next week. Christopher Bell’s victory moved him up to second position in the standings, dropping Reddick and Ryan Blaney one spot to fourth and third, respectively, as The Chase continues.
For Reddick, the disappointment will have to give way to the bigger picture. He earned valuable points and showed once again that he can contend for the biggest prizes.
But the Southern 500 still remains unfinished business. And judging by his words after the race, “Really want to win this race, Pat. One day we will,” Reddick is not prepared to stop chasing it. Now, we wait for the next year to see if he can get the elusive win.