On Thursday at Phoenix Raceway, Tyler Reddick began one of the biggest weekends of his career: his first true shot at a NASCAR Cup Series championship. Forty drivers showed up to Phoenix, yet all but the Championship Four — Reddick, William Byron, and past Cup champions Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney — were eliminated from title contention. The highest Champ Four finisher in the race on Sunday would win the title.
Reddick’s title hunt came at the end of a tense week. He was the only Toyota left, since his 23XI team owner, Denny Hamlin, got eliminated on points at Martinsville Speedway, and his manufacturer teammate, Christopher Bell, was in the Championship Four for 27 minutes before getting removed for a safety violation. Byron took his place, despite allegations of race manipulation in favor of both of them. All the while, 23XI was in court with NASCAR, leaving the team’s future in jeopardy.
