The pump is what sends fuel from the tank to the engine. If it doesn’t work correctly, the engine may not get enough fuel and the car can lose power or performance.
A fuel issue means the car isn’t getting the fuel it needs the way it should. In a race, that can force you to lose time or laps, which makes it harder to win later.
A restart is when the race slows down for a caution, then everyone speeds back up together. Because the cars are packed again, it’s a moment where drivers can gain positions quickly—or get into trouble.
Side-by-side racing is when two cars are next to each other while trying to pass or hold position. It’s all about having enough grip and speed to stay even without making contact.
Side drafting is when a car runs close to another car’s side to use aerodynamic effects that can increase speed for both cars. In NASCAR, it’s a common tactic on drafting tracks, but it requires precise positioning to avoid contact.
Having “points on your mind” means you’re thinking about the championship, not just one race moment. It can make you choose safer moves so you don’t lose points with a wreck.
Drafting tracks are circuits where aerodynamics and slipstreaming strongly influence speed and passing. On these tracks, cars can gain momentum by following closely, which can make race outcomes depend more on timing and pack strategy.
Racing can come down to super small moments—like when you choose to pass, defend, or time a move. Those quick choices can be the difference between finishing near the front or falling back.
Momentum is basically how fast and “in control” the car feels as it comes out of a corner. If you lose that flow, you can fall back, but if you get it back, you can catch up fast.
The Cup Series is NASCAR’s main, top-level racing series. If a driver has wins in the Cup Series, it means they’re succeeding at the highest level of NASCAR.
Practice is the time before the race where the team tries things out to make the car feel right. It helps them figure out what to change so the car drives better during qualifying and the race.
Qualifying decides where the cars start for the race. A better starting spot can make it easier to avoid traffic and race with a cleaner plan.
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We've just been doing a really good job of getting the wins when they've been out there for the taking those two man. They love going at each other. You know their competitive nature between the two of them is just inspiring.
Welcome back to Kevin Harvick's happy hour podcast. Your boy Mama Smith back in the hot seat for this week's victory lab. We've talked to this guy like so many times. I'm getting tired of talking to Tyler Redick five time this year.
Yeah, I know that is pretty crazy. The fashion which we've won a few of these races has been pretty mind blowing and that trend just seems to be continuing.
Can we I do want to talk to you about the Kansas win. I felt like watching it live we're all watching you hunt down the 11 make the past. What happened over in three and four that it made it to where you gave up the lead and then how are you able to refocus and do you have to do to get the win.
Yeah, honestly just made a mistake. You know, we had the fuel issue or the issue with the pump down the front stretch. Have to lap for that and that's essentially what happened there. But yeah, you know on this restart here just man.
Approximately 11 and the 20 get tight get put three wide and then, you know, unfortunately, then he comes up into me. I smoke C bell and we all come together and in this moment I'm thinking man, we just we just we just let Hendrick sneak out here with another win.
I got off for really good and Larson really didn't so I mean I just thought I was too far back to do anything with this move but he just he just is tight and you know I was able to get alongside of him here and then from here we were just figuring out how we were going to enter the corner.
He was trying to side drafts and I was trying to do the same and you know again just knowing how tight he was and one and two gave me some confidence that it was going to stick down in three and four.
Yeah, when you look at your season at large anything about you know what you were doing last year, your routine and what you're doing this year. It seems like you've really just locked into what you need to do and what the team needs to do week in and week out.
Yeah, certainly you know we kind of well not really kind of we have most certainly taken a look at everything talked about everything had a good offseason had a good reset on on how we're going to approach 2026 and so.
Yeah, you know we've we've been really doing a good job of of capitalizing bring fast way to cameras to the racetrack as well so yeah man I mean we've just been doing a really good job of of getting the wins when they've been out there for the taking and bringing a lot of a lot of fast way to cameras to the racetrack to so.
Yeah, I mean, I'd say we've been a little bit better at a lot at most the tracks we've been to this year.
You know Bristol is one that comes to mind where we were a lot better than we were last year but the rest of them it feels like we've just been chipping away at it making little gains and those little little bit here and there in the different areas is coming up big and moments in these races.
You talk about bringing fast race cars to the track. Obviously Billy Scott your crew chief is the main the main source of that. What has it been like growing with Billy because I feel like when you're able to evolve with somebody together that really solidifies what you guys can do as a group.
Yeah, we've been learning a lot over the years. You know, it was unfortunate that 2025 was as difficult as it was, but it really helped bring us together better than we've ever been before in my opinion.
So, you know, I think the first step in all this was was getting past the part of we need to get back to how we were in 2024. It was not about that it's finding out what where we need to go in the future and where are we going to go from here and not not looking back but looking forward and so.
Yeah, I think just collectively the whole team did a really good job of that this past off season. We came into the year with a really strong mindset of how we're going to go about doing things.
And yeah, I think just the routine that we have our preparation our mindset how we handle the adversity through the races has really put us in a good spot to be able to grind it out and you know for sure when you know you got points on your mind.
I feel like that is something that's helped me as well. I know typically I'm known for being aggressive driver taking risks and doing a number of things and yeah for me I enjoy thinking about the big picture you know the long term goals you know it really helps me kind of pull it back just a little bit in turn you know days were running for third and crash out into into fourth and fifths and getting out of there.
Have you noticed social media as far as you're starting to transcend I know you've noticed what what people are saying they think you guys are cheating we're going to talk about that because I think it's the most ridiculous conversation out there like they're well how can you explain them winning one race or whatever last year being so good this
year I'm like well in retrospect you know a couple of more drafting tracks so it takes a lot of help in a lot of situations so you guys are putting yourself in the right situation but have you noticed social media you're starting to transcend sports media like RG
threes of the world and other other Fox sports entities are really starting to talk about your season have you noticed that at all is that is that kind of too far out for you.
No I'm you know I I try to keep up with social media and it is it is really cool to see that the the attention the.
You know how what what we're accomplishing here in our world in NASCAR is is getting is growing outside of our of the world that we know and getting into other areas and other eyes outside of our sport are picking up on it and and paying attention to what's happening here I think it's great for for the sport in a hole as a whole you know.
In this day and age of what these cars are and how close the competition is you know for us to do we've done is really really crazy.
And I'm definitely not taking that for granted I'm using it if anything to just continue to motivate myself to win the next one you know funny enough I.
They like yesterday was a prime example of you know how much the little things matter the little choices the split second decisions.
You know just the margins are so small and you you you're able to overcome little things by just making the right choice at the right time and that was kind of how that race played out for us I mean we were you know into the 20 and no momentum down the back.
Dang you're back to fifth place down the back stretch and just made the right right decision and three and four back to second and then able to you know battle the five for the win.
Yeah absolutely I gotta I gotta tell you I'm really proud of you because I'm wearing my 45 hat.
I picked you on the show last week to put in victory lane you made me look real smart and whatever I can really just rib Kevin about it it just really makes my whole weeks out of right so I appreciate that.
You're very welcome I'm glad I can help.
But I feel like you're you've gone from star and now you're a rock star how about that you like that the picture that you put on social of you back in the day when the rock star had I mean I think a lot of our fans don't remember.
Tyler Reddick with the long hair because you kind of your dirt persona but congratulations on the new partnership.
Yeah thank you it's it's a it's great that it's out there.
I think Kelly help me help me here I think we got there's some more things coming out about it here in the coming days if not today.
We'll see that's all I'm getting.
Yeah you know there's there's even more cool stuff coming on that and yeah you know for me it's it's it's really cool you know you go you mentioning the dirt dirt days and I remember when they were you know if you will like.
One of the sponsors partners that looks like model dirt series way back when and when I was running running those cars and.
Yeah you know they were giving out just cases and cases of rock star the hats all the all the merchandise and stuff and you know it was background the dirt stuff I mean.
Yeah 1415 years old just cases of energy drinks during your way why not.
So yeah yeah my dad my dad came and clutch on this one he had that photo saved somewhere he's got all the photos from all the things that we we got to do growing up and yeah yeah that hat just throws it back to that era for sure.
Yeah it's so funny man I do want to ask you about Bo like so last year I felt like Bo was he just he didn't get to go to victory lane much that he's not used to that his whole life he's been going to victory lane.
All right so how's Bo doing is he OK is he expecting this every week like we're five in so he must be doing OK now.
Yeah he funny enough me and Alex got to talk about a little bit on the way home you know I got out of the car and.
I don't know I didn't want him to get get covered in in rock star so I told me he made me want to watch out it's a little chilly you know so you don't get soaked and he I don't know if he got mad at me I guess he wouldn't be right there in the middle of it so.
I got to talk about it working all out but it's fun having him put the sticker on on the on the C post of the car you know honestly our whole family was really down not feeling good.
I was really off Friday on doing better today but both the kids man were really sick on Saturday rookie was really sick in the morning Bo was sick to the early hours of the night on Saturday so.
Me and my wife just funny enough I get out of the car look at her the look on her face tells me everything she's exhausted I'm exhausted.
Yeah me and being parents you know we're in victory lane we're both looking each other like oh man we're so tired but it's just funny it all worked out we won.
I know I know thankfully rookie and Bo are feeling better today but it was funny how things work it was a very long weekend and one hand I was so happy we won on the other hand I was really ready to get things moving and get on home and take a good night's rest.
Yeah I guarantee it I mean Bo's wide open just wait till rookies like really moving around I think you guys are going to be you might need a buck call back up.
The whole plane ride home he was crawling up and down the aisle of the plane just like catching people by surprise just all of energy he's.
When he got his last bottle before we were about to land you know he was tired and he's sitting there laying on Alexa's chest and he's not crying and fussing he's just like.
Ah just making not upset just making noise because he's just bored like he's tired half away not crying just making noise and everyone's looking at me and like it's just what rookie does man like he doesn't cry much he just loves making noise and being rowdy that's just how he's been since you know he's bounced back from dealing with you know the heart failure and the kidney
problems so he's just he's full of energy man we've we're in big trouble when it when it comes to the two boys.
Absolutely love to hear it Tyler before I let you go I got to ask you did you see your two bosses in our interaction when they when Michael was walking down Pair Road and what can you explain like that relationship when you guys see the other shop because you know last year at Kansas
is Danny kind of stole one from the shop and that this year you guys kind of stole one back I think that is pretty awesome to watch.
Yeah I mean those two man they love they love going at each other you know they love smack you know talking smack and just I mean they're you know their competitive nature between the two of them is is just inspiring you know we all talk about Michael and we've all seen it through his career and what he brings the table here 2311.
And you know those in our racing world know how competitive Danny is to so you know it's just it's just funny and some of the moments we got to share this weekend.
You know they just it's funny to sit back and just watch those two go at it just you know talk their smack and everything so.
You know we were sitting there enjoying the weekend talking about the race and you know.
It was actually kind of nice I didn't have to talk any smack I let my Michael do all of it and you know he was going to tell Danny about how the weekend was going to go so we're able to steal that one away from him on over time.
I think that's just Michael you know let me know hey we got you this time so.
Letting it all hang out well Michael had everything he needed all the ammo you won practice you won qualifying you won the race Tyler Reddick five time win in the Cup series this year congratulations my guy.
Thank you thank you very much.
About this episode
Tyler Reddick breaks down his Kansas win, explaining how a fuel/pump issue and a restart chaos moment nearly flipped the race before he regrouped and out-dueled Kyle Larson. He credits offseason resets, crew chief Billy Scott, and a more patient, big-picture mindset for turning small gains into wins. Reddick also addresses social media “cheating” chatter, saying the margins are tiny and the team makes the right split-second calls. The chat turns personal with stories about his kids during a sick, long weekend, plus the fun rivalry between Michael and Danny at the track.
Tyler Reddick breaks down his fifth NASCAR Cup Series win of the season after his win at Kansas Speedway, dives into his dominant 2026 NASCAR campaign, discusses racing for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, and shares emotional moments celebrating victories with his son Beau. On this episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Mamba Smith sits down with NASCAR Cup Series star Tyler Reddick to analyze the Kansas race, explore what’s fueling his winning momentum, unpack driving for a championship-caliber team, and reveal the personal side of life in this Victory Lap.
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