Skip to main content
Join
NASCAR Logo

Tyler Reddick had 'fun' beating his boss Denny Hamlin at Kansas

JHby:Jonathan Howard•09/11/23•

Jondean25

Tyler Reddick Kansas Speedway
Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports

Anytime you get to take down the bossman it is a good time. Tyler Reddick had a good time winning over Denny Hamlin at Kansas. Both Hamlin and Reddick took two tires on pit road leading up to the final restart. It is no wonder why they were racing for the win on the final lap.

Tyler Reddick started 5th on the overtime restart. Denny Hamlin was right there with him. After not getting a push from Kyle Larson, Hamlin saw his driver pull away from him. Reddick made a nasty move to the bottom of the track to get by Larson and Joey Logano and the rest is history.

Looking back on the race, Reddick was more than happy to have beaten his boss. He knows how good Hamlin is at Kansas and how big of a win it was.

“I know that definitely talking with them, he was, I think, better than I was at the end of the race,” Reddick said in the press conference after the race. ” It’s just circumstances played out in a way to where I was able to get a better restart.

“But certainly it is fun to beat the boss. Obviously, I think he’s got a couple more playoff points still banking on, but him, Martin [Truex] and Christopher [Bell], we all really share a lot of information back and forth, and ideally we’d love to fill the Championship 4 with Toyotas and may the best man win. But it’s a long way out, but we do a lot of great work together, and I’m really glad we have the teamwork and the partnership that we do because when we get to Talladega a little later on, us being able to work with each other will be very beneficial.”

Tyler Reddick finally finished a race

The biggest thing for Tyler Reddick and his 45 team, they finished this race. There wasn’t a pit road mistake, no speeding, no loose wheels – all of that was left at Darlington after that tough break. It might return later in these playoffs, but for now, Reddick and his team are on top.

Reddick doesn’t remember a lot about the final restart. According to him he kind of blacked out for a second and then he was out front with a lap to go. Drivers took two tires, he took four, and it ended up paying off on this worn-out Kansas track.

“We did a good job by sticking with the right strategy and then we just got fortunate,” Reddick said. “People lined up in some odd places I think and it just opened up us to get to the bottom on that restart, get on the inside lane and jump a couple of rows. So it worked out good.”

Advancing to the Round of 12 for the first time in his career, Tyler Reddick is prepared to contend for a championship run now. Don’t forget that Reddick won at Texas a year ago. That track is going to piss off drivers and fans alike. First, we have to get through Bristol and then shake out the standings. Then we will find out our group of drivers moving forward.