Tyler Reddick observed the Brickyard 400 qualifying session on Saturday with a critical eye. He noticed several drivers struggling in different turns, including one incident where Austin Cindric hit the wall.
Despite facing his own challenges during his run, the 28-year-old Reddick remained composed. He adapted well and capitalized on his final attempt to secure his first Brickyard 400 pole position.
Reddick completed the 2.5-mile oval in 49.469 seconds, narrowly edging out points leader Chase Elliott, who clocked in at 49.504 seconds and will start from the third position. This sets up an intriguing battle between two top contenders in the Cup standings.
“I knew I needed to run around 49.50. I didn’t know Chase’s exact time, but I knew that was our goal,” Reddick said, celebrating his eighth career pole. “I missed the turn pretty badly initially, so I had to nail the rest of the lap perfectly, and thankfully we did.”
For Reddick, it’s been an ideal start to what promises to be an exciting weekend, as the Cup race returns to the oval track after three years on Indianapolis’ road course.
If all goes well for Reddick on Sunday, it could lead to an even bigger celebration for his No. 45 Toyota team. Reddick won the 2022 Brickyard 200 on Indy’s 14-turn road course, and no Cup driver has achieved victory on both tracks before.
A win by Reddick could also knock Elliott from the top spot as NASCAR enters its two-week Olympic break. Elliott currently leads Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports by three points and Reddick by 15.
“We know that many of the guys close in the points are right behind us, making adjustments overnight and doing what they need to do,” Reddick said. “So we have to be aware of all the possibilities around us tomorrow.” The starting lineup around Reddick is also impressive.
Reddick’s team owner, Denny Hamlin, will start on the outside of Row 1 in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 Toyota. Elliott, Larson, and another Hendrick driver, William Byron, hold the next three starting positions. These are the top five drivers in points.
Larson is racing for the second time on Indy’s oval this season, having qualified fifth at the Indianapolis 500.
And all this is happening on a day when NASCAR’s most successful team owner, Rick Hendrick, leads the field to the green flag — from the pace car.
But once Hendrick exits the track, Reddick will lead the cars across the famous yard of bricks for the first lap, setting up an exciting scenario as he aims for his second win of the season.
“It’s really exciting,” Reddick said. “I’ve always been on the other side of this. It’s nice to be on the inside for once. It means a lot to us.”
