Tyler Reddick takes Brickyard 400 pole award at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
A huge lap from Tyler Reddick as he picks up his eighth career pole. He will lead the Brickyard 400 to green on Sunday. Reddick has a NASCAR Cup Series win on the Indy Road Course, why not get one on the big track?
Tyler Reddick was able to beat out Chase Elliott for the pole. With NASCAR’s strange new qualifying format, Elliott went from P1 to P3, on the inside of the second row.
This is a major pole for Reddick. It is Indy, the oval, and he has a shot at adding a Brickyard 400 win to his record, a crown jewel!
Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and John Hunter Nemechek make up the rest of the top-10.
Here is the full qualifying order from Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports.
This is the first pole award for Tyler Reddick since Darlington. That race did not end how he wanted it to. Despite leading the most laps, he went home P32. However, ever since then, he has been on a run that has him only 15 points out of the regular season championship leader.
That points leader is Chase Elliott. Hamlin is only 20 points outside of the lead. Kyle Larson starts P5 and trails Elliott by only three points. There is going to be a battle on the track between these four drivers. Each of them is looking for any points advantage they can find.
Winning the regular season championship is important. Every year it gains more importance. 15 bonus points for the playoffs is a big deal. It can help you survive a bad round should it come to that.
Tyler Reddick trying to narrow points gap more
In the last eight races, Tyler Reddick has seven finishes in the top-10 and four of those were P4 or better. However, he has not won during that time. Indianapolis gives him a chance to put a bow on this strong run that has put him in contention to win the regular season.
23XI Racing is a team that wants to compete for championships. Denny Hamlin expects Reddick to be the driver to get them there. Right now, he is driving like it. While he let a couple of races, Nashville and Chicago, slip away, he has the speed.
This is the time for Reddick and the 45 team to step up. They are seen as a team on the rise and one that should be on par with the top-level teams in the Cup Series. With the pole secured at Indianapolis, there is just one more step – win.
Tyler Reddick showed out on his qualifying lap. He was fastest in practice, and even in the long run was a top car. So, all signs are pointing towards a strong showing for Reddick on Sunday. Will he kiss the bricks again?