Kevin Harvick sends strong message to Tyler Reddick ahead of NASCAR Playoffs Round of 8

It took a gutsy performance in this past Sunday’s Round of 12 finale at the Charlotte Roval for Tyler Reddick to advance to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

After winning Stage 1, Reddick later made contact on the frontstretch chicane with Denny Hamlin, bending his right rear toe link. That put Reddick in a tough spot for the remainder of the race, but he certainly answered the bell. Reddick pushed through the field to secure a P11 finish, taking the final transfer spot by four points.

The Round of 8 gets underway this Sunday at Las Vegas, and Kevin Harvick wants to see the same sense of urgency Reddick displayed at Charlotte translate to the last four races of the season.

“I loved how they performed under pressure,” Harvick said Tuesday on his “Happy Hour” podcast. “When I look at that, I’m like, ‘Where is that all the time? Where is that urgency all the time?’ I wanna see that from Lap 1. We saw him in practice have a little spin out there getting going, but that urgency and that communication and the things they had when they had to have it, how do you find that and make that just be the norm?

“That last piece of the puzzle to be able to do that outside of when you need to do that is really what takes guys to the next level. That’s really what I’m waiting on from Tyler Reddick is how does he find that extra gear every lap to be able to go put on that show even when he’s not in need of it.”

Tyler Reddick rallies at Roval, advances to Round of 8

The field of eight going for the Cup Series championship is loaded with talent, and that certainly includes Reddick, the reigning regular season champion. Reddick had the advantage coming into the postseason, however, his performance in the six playoff races has left a lot to be desired.

After a P6 finish at Atlanta, Reddick finished P27, P20, P25 and P20, respectively in the next four races. That put Reddick right on the cutline going into the Roval, a place he does not want to be in again.

“It’s tough, but I mean, you just got to stay calm,” Reddick said after the race. “You got to stay focused in those moments, man. It’s so easy to lose track of what you can control. And either way, I was going to drive the car as fast as I could. And it just worked out for us. This thing was able to get up back up through the field and get us to the good side of the cutline.”