Denny Hamlin reveals Tyler Reddick’s $135,000 reason he survived playoff scares

Clutch performance. That’s the best way to describe Tyler Reddick’s 11th-place finish at the Charlotte Roval after surviving an elimination scare at the 2024 Bank of America ROVAL 400. The 23XI Racing driver reached the round of eight for the second year in a row, but it was anything but easy this time. Although he started the race in second place and won the opening stage, the regular series champion was the victim of several on-track incidents that threatened to derail his championship hopes.

Highlighting the financial incentives that come with a high playoff spot, Denny Hamlin has revealed one of the factors that may have motivated Tyler Reddick to make a stunning comeback on the 2.28-mile hybrid course.

Denny Hamlin highlights financial incentives in playoffs

In a way, everything that could go wrong went wrong for Tyler Reddick at the Charlotte Roval. With more at stake than ever before in the final round of 12 playoff race, the California native knew changes to the track layout could bring a whole new set of challenges. As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. His No. 45 Toyota was involved in an accident with Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin at the track’s redesigned Turn 7 on lap 30 and suffered suspension problems due to contact. Reddick was forced into the pits several times over the following laps while his team assessed the damage and tried to salvage his race.

23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin emphasized on the Actions Detrimental podcast that Tyler Reddick was fighting for more than just his title hopes: “Basically, it can be said that the car brings in $135,000 more per position. This does not include the year-end purse. That’s also a number that I don’t know exactly. For each position you can advance to, it’s an additional $135,000. If Tyler is eliminated and does not make it to the Final Four, he will be reorganized with the same number of points as the other 12 who did not make it to the Final Four. They all regress depending on how they fared over the entire 10 weeks.”

Tyler Reddick rode like a man on a mission in the 2024 Bank of America ROVAL 400. After the incidents on the track, the 28-year-old had to continue the race in 35th place and was in serious danger of not progressing into the round of 16. Hoping that the drivers around the elimination line would perform poorly, Reddick drove fearlessly to make up positions on the track and finished just outside the top ten, doing just enough to advance to the next round of the postseason . With 45 points from the race, the 23XI Racing driver sits third in the Drivers’ Championship, just behind Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell.

With four races left in the 2024 season, Tyler Reddick has the motivation he needs to succeed in the playoffs. While the California native hasn’t shown the same consistency in the playoffs as he did in the regular season, Reddick hopes to find his form again at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s a track where he’s finished in the top ten for the past two years, and the No. 45 Toyota driver will look to build on those performances at the 2024 South Point 400.

Tyler Reddick’s crew chief shares his views on playoff elimination

NASCAR has always been a sport where the smallest gaps can make the biggest difference. Whether it is only seconds that separate two drivers at the finish line, or a point that decides whether they are eliminated or advance. Every small advantage a driver can maintain during the playoffs can make a big difference in the long run, which is why Tyler Reddick’s crew chief Billy Scott doesn’t want to leave anything to chance at the business end of the season.

Billy Scott emphasized the importance of achieving results in the post-season in the post-race media interaction: “I think it shows that every point is important. And I think you see it every year. Approximately every round, a few points count – usually less than five. That’s why you’re fighting. I mean, even last week in Talladega, damage repair there too. Watkins Glen – yes, we did that more than we would have liked in these playoffs. So it’s just another statement of how important it is to never put a single point on the table.”

As things stand, Tyler Reddick is 10 points above the elimination line heading into the round of eight. The upcoming races in Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami and Martinsville will present a difficult challenge for the 23XI Racing driver, which the California native will be looking to rise to in the coming weeks. The California native has never made it to the 4th championship in his Cup Series career, but will look to stay in title contention at Phoenix Raceway later this year. Will he be able to compete with the best in NASCAR and emerge victorious on the grandest stage of them all? Time will tell.