SAD NEWS: NASCAR announced that Tyler Reddick is Leaving immediately after Facing…..
Two Cup teams will have replacements on their pit crews for violations last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR has suspended two pit crew members each from the teams of Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe because both teams had a tire come off on track during the event.
NASCAR issued $600,000 in fines and suspended nine team members from three different teams on Tuesday for alleged race manipulation at Martinsville Speedway.
The penalties came down after a contentious final battle Sunday at the Virginia track in which Christopher Bell initially qualified for the championship final four but his move to hit the wall and use it for momentum violated a banned safety rule and was disallowed.
That gave the final spot in this week’s winner-take-all finale at Phoenix Raceway to William Byron.
Drama continued to encompass NASCAR ahead of its championship-deciding season finale as the sanctioning body issued $600,000 in fines and suspended nine team members from three different teams on Tuesday for alleged race manipulation at Martinsville Speedway.
The penalties came down after a contentious final battle Sunday at the Virginia track in which Christopher Bell initially qualified for the championship final four, but his move to hit the wall and use it for momentum violated a banned safety rule and was disallowed.
These team disruptions come in the wake of NASCAR’s disciplinary actions following allegations of race manipulation at a Martinsville event. Key figures within 23XI Racing, including competition director Dave Rogers and Bubba Wallace’s crew chief Bootie Barker, were suspended, presenting a formidable challenge for the team at an important part of the season.
Despite the absence of these colleagues, he still has confidence in the team’s ability to perform.
“I feel like we have good depth, we’ve got great people,” Reddick stated. “Personally, I wish Dave and Bootie were here for sure. But I don’t know, I think Dave does a really good job with his role, Bootie is a great leader of his team.”
Bubba Wallace was at the center of the controversy, and was found to have feigned a flat tire. This action was allegedly designed to assist his teammate, Christopher Bell. The penalties have undeniably altered their morale just ahead of what is 23XI Racing’s inaugural appearance in the Championship 4.
The Championship 4, a climactic drive featuring Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and William Byron, was directly influenced by the Martinsville incident. William Byron secured his spot due to Bell’s disqualification.
Bootie’s just an awesome guy to be around, so yeah, you know, I certainly will miss him this weekend. And getting to know Dave over the years, yeah, I like having him around, too. But there’s been weekends we’ve gone to the track and Dave isn’t there.”
Reddick remains focused on the immediate challenge, drawing on Bubba Wallace’s data and displaying a positive outlook as he prepares to compete.
The 28-year-old will be enjoying some well deserved down-time after the 2024 season, and recently shared his NASCAR break plans.
“I don’t know if ‘reflect’ is really the word that comes to mind for me,” Reddick said via NASCAR.com.
“I have plenty of good notes to go back through. We all do. I think at some point we’ll review the season as a whole. But yeah, I think at moments I probably have, but not for long periods of time. I’ve just been doing other things outside of racing that’s taking up all my day.”
“Working on other things outside of racing, catching up on life, honey-do’s, whatever you want to call them,” he added.
“So yeah, once I get all that stuff in a good place, I feel like I’ll be decompressed and ready to get back just focused on racing.”
The two individuals involved are Cordell Cahill, an IT support worker from 23XI Racing, and RJ Otto, who formerly acted as the interim crew chief for Bret Holmes Racing last season but is not part of the current year’s roster. While specific details have not been disclosed, NASCAR’s policy mandates such sanctions when members fail substance checks, aiming to maintain a safe and fair competitive environment.
Reinstatement for Cahill and Otto is contingent upon completing a tailored recovery plan, a common practice that grants crew members a structured path back to the sport, assuming adherence to prescribed rehabilitation steps.
In another NASCAR league, the Craftsman Truck Series noted a minor infraction with Ross Chastain’s vehicle. A loose lug nut led to a $2,500 fine for Phil Gould, crew chief for the No. 45 Niece Motorsports truck.
However, in a more contentious issue, an incident involving drivers Corey LaJoie and Kyle Busch during the same series did not result in penalties, despite the apparent intentional nature of their collision.
Amidst these regulatory actions, NASCAR is preparing for the much-anticipated return of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The event marks a significant shift back to the oval track after
The issue was discovered at Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to practice on Saturday afternoon.
As a result of the unapproved adjustment, Reddick will have to drop to the rear of the field before the green flag of Sunday’s race, and he will have to serve a pass-thru penalty after the start of the race.
Reddick will also be without his car chief for the remainder of the weekend, as they have been ejected, the No. 45 team will also lose their pit selection, and the No. 45 team will be ordered to make a qualifying run in order to scuff up their tires for the start of Sunday’s race as to not give them an advantage of having an additional set of sticker tires at the start of the 600-mile endurance race.
Additionally, JJ Yeley’s No. 44 NY Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 failed pre-race inspection three times, and as a result that car will not be permitted to take a qualifying lap on Saturday.
Tyler Reddick will have a long road to travel if he wants to take the victory in NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. On Saturday, NASCAR discovered an adjustment that the No. 45 23XI Racing team had made to the underwing of the Toyota Camry.
The issue was discovered at Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to practice on Saturday afternoon.
