Tyler Reddick ‘throwing up’ in car, battling illness during Southern 500

As Tyler Reddick attempts to clinch the NASCAR regular season championship, he is not just fighting the Darlington track, but a stomach bug as well. Reddick is fighting for his life in the No. 45 car as he attempts to win the Southern 500.

Tyler Reddick has been talking to his crew throughout the race. He asked for crackers and Tums pills during one of his pit stops, but things are not going well.

When asked if he was afraid of getting sick during the race, he confirmed.

“I’m throwing up, sh***ing myself, all of the above,” Reddick explained, via Jonathan Fjeld.

Tyler Reddick: "I'm throwing up, shitting myself, all of the above." Reddick's team tells him they have a plan. They will give him two bags of ice and a drink. #NASCAR

— Jonathan Fjeld (@Jonathan_Fjeld) September 1, 2024

To his credit, Tyler Reddick is delivering quite a strong performance. If he’s as sick as he sounds, then it makes his top-5 run going on right now that much more impressive. He has been in that front group the entire race and hasn’t wavered.

Darlington is the last place I’d want to be sick at. The difficulty it takes to get around the track, riding the wall, knowing you are going to hit the wall and how to respond without wrecking – it’s all made that much more challenging being sick.

Now, there was another guy who performed under the pressure of illness…Reddick’s boss, Michael Jordan. With MJ, Wayne Gretzky, and Tiger Woods on the hood of the 45 car this week, Reddick might be putting together his own flu game of sorts.

Tyler Reddick facing pressure at Darlington

If I were a betting man, I’d bet that seeing Kyle Larson leading this Southern 500 has Tyler Reddick motivated enough to race through his illness. Coming into the race, only 17 points separated the two for the regular season championship.

Now in the middle of Stage 2, the drivers are both racing in the top-5 and hoping to pick up as many points as they can on each other. Larson is going to drive out of the front windshield and hope that Reddick begins to fall back in the field sooner than later.

Reddick and his team are constantly communicating not just about the car but also the driver’s body. Getting the driver to the end of the race could be as difficult as getting the No. 45 Toyota to the finish line.

Darlington Raceway is a punishing track. It does not show mercy. Tyler Reddick will have to put up one of his best performances if he wants to walk away a regular-season champion.