Drivers at the Homestead Miami Speedway are notorious for using wall-riding tactics to get extra speed. A few weeks ago, Kyle Larson put on a display while crashing his No. 5 Chevy into the wall more than a dozen times. Then there is Tyler Reddick, who earned a berth in the championship race with a spectacular move during the playoffs last year. But this tactic isn’t exclusive to Homestead; in fact, drivers are forced to employ it at Darlington Raceway. The egg-shaped oval racetrack in Dalrington is not evenly set out, making it a unique racetrack. The rough drivers had to flirt with the wall on turns three and four as well as the narrow corner exit.
Reddick had to learn this ability the hard way after being tangled with Chris Buescher at the Goodyear 400, even though he was able to master it at Homestead in late 2024. After suffering heartbreak at Kansas Speedway, when he lost to Kyle Larson by 0.001 of a second, Buescher was feeling upbeat going into the race. The start-finish line’s painting caused a great deal of criticism, but the RFK Racing driver had a chance to make amends at Darlington. However, the No. 17 car was leading with ten laps remaining, and Reddick, who had won stages one and two, was chasing hard. However, in his attempt to pass the leader, the 23XI Racing driver was overconfident and collided with Buesche, ramming him into the wall.
The slide work was a complete failure. Reddick’s #45 and Buescher’s #17 collided, sending both vehicles into the wall with flat tires, rather than taking the lead cleanly. Both drivers were eliminated from competition after being forced to pit road. Both drivers placed 30th and 32nd at the end of the race, but Brad Keselowski, Buescher’s teammate, won for the first time in the Next Gen era. Buescher couldn’t believe his luck when he lost another game, but Reddick’s victory at Talladega had already secured his postseason ticket. Furious over the way he was beaten, he went up to Reddick on the pit road and prepared to fight. However, the 23XI Racing driver instantly admitted his mistake, which helped to diffuse the situation.
“I understand! I messed up! I apologize! Reddick instantly acknowledged the incident at the post-NASCAR race altercation while still sporting his helmet. “I attempted to back out as soon as I realized it wouldn’t work. I didn’t want to damage your car in any way. I don’t give a damn about mine. Buescher, however, who fell to 12th place in the rankings and has yet to win this season, was not placated: For me, it doesn’t work. In reference to the postseason qualification that Reddick had already obtained with an earlier victory, he remarked, “We don’t have that sticker on our door right now.” “I need you to improve.”
Buescher’s respect for Reddick and their clean racing history just made him more frustrated. Buescher bemoaned, “We’ve raced each other for so long just fine.” We had a chance to win races for two weeks in a row. First, I will always remember what I would have done differently. The other is that I need someone else to handle it with more maturity. At the beginning of the new year, Tyler Reddick was involved in yet another racial controversy. And it was against his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota teammate this time.
When Tempers Flare at NASCAR’s Short Tracks, History Repeats
When Ty Gibbs threatened Tyler Reddick during Sunday’s Cook Out 400, Martinsville Speedway—known for its constrained space and intense emotions—became the scene of NASCAR’s most recent driver altercation. On Lap 298, Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota spun after colliding with Reddick in Turns 1 and 2. The enraged Gibbs then sent out an angry radio message, saying, “You’d better keep me away from that little f—– [Reddick] after this race, too.” After earlier in-person run-ins with Joey Logano during the 2024 Busch Light Clash and Sam Mayer following an Xfinity NASCAR Race in 2022, this altercation adds another chapter to Gibbs’ expanding history of driver disagreements.
Gibbs’ staff made an effort to defuse the heated moment by stating that Reddick had attempted to lift but was pushed from behind by Austin Dillon, characterizing it as a “normal deal” with “nothing you can do about it.” In a stroke of competitive irony, Gibbs eventually bounced back to finish 13th, one spot ahead of Reddick, giving the 22-year-old driver some on-track satisfaction in what has been a difficult 2025 season. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin — Reddick’s team owner at 23XI Racing – scored his first Martinsville victory in a decade and sixth overall at the historic Virginia short track. However, the race at Darlington Raceway this weekend is set up for thrilling racing action. The focus will be on drivers like as Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin who are touted to favorites for the race.
