Tyler Reddick has been nominated for the ESPYS ‘Best Driver’ award, alongside the likes of IndyCar champion Alex Palou, F1 drivers Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris. Reddick shared the announcement on X and called for the fan vote.
The ESPYS is ESPN’s annual awards show that celebrates outstanding athletes and team achievements. Reddick’s nomination comes after his trailblazing start to the season with three consecutive wins, including the famed Daytona 500.
Reddick went on to win two more times to become the first driver in series history to win five races in the first nine races. Reflecting upon the same, the 23XI Racing driver’s X post read:
Tyler Reddick reigned atop the points standings until the last race at Sonoma. The No.45 driver was plagued by mechanical issues that ultimately left him four laps behind the lead pack.
He came close to a win at San Diego but fell victim to a flat tire on the final laps. He currently stands second to Denny Hamlin with a single point deficit.
At his best, Reddick had a 129-point advantage after Watkins Glen International.
Tyler Reddick reflects on ‘bittersweet’ day at Sonoma
Tyler Reddick began one spot shy of the top-10 at Sonoma, but went six laps down after Stage 1. He faced power steering issues and had to take it in for repairs.
Nonetheless, Reddick came out to log the fastest lap of the day before finishing dead last. He lamented wasted potential in a post-race interview.
“It was kind of bittersweet we were able to get the fastest lap and have that kind of speed, even though we were having slight steering issues to finish the race out. I’d say we got pretty fortunate today. (Hamlin) was running really, really good,” he said via NBC sports.
“So all things considered, for the issues that we had, we were very fortunate to really only lose nine points on the day or eight points on the day to Denny,” Tyler Reddick added. “finishing dead last so it is what it is. We’ll take it. We’ll move on, and we’ll do everything we can at Chicagoland to get back to the lead.”
Denny Hamlin was poised for a top-5 finish until he spun out from a restart stack-up. He ultimately finished 26th and had to settle for a minor lead over Tyler Reddick.
The two drivers now head to Chicagoland Speedway with a chance to pull ahead. Their closest competition, Ryan Blaney, trails them by 104 points.
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