Tyler Reddick reflects on his thrilling victory at the Daytona 500, sharing insights on the race's intense final lap and the calm he felt amidst the chaos. He discusses the evolution of racing strategies and the challenges of adapting to changing conditions. Reddick also highlights the importance of his support system, including his family and team, in overcoming past struggles and achieving success. The episode captures the emotional weight of winning such a prestigious race and the significance of celebrating with loved ones and teammates.
Daytona 500 champion Tyler Reddick joins Kevin Harvick for this week’s Victory Lap to break down his thrilling victory in the 2026 Daytona 500, walking through the chaotic final laps and how he positioned himself to capitalize when it mattered most. Reddick explains what it meant to finally win at Daytona, the emotion of celebrating in Victory Lane alongside team owner Michael Jordan, and why the moment carried extra weight after a winless season and personal challenges his family has faced. He reflects on the belief inside his team, the support system that kept him grounded, and how this breakthrough victory changes expectations heading into the rest of the NASCAR season.
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"...each of the three fuel runs, if you will, yesterday in the race, all played out a little bit differently. So you couldn't really pick up on a trend or a pattern..."
Fuel runs are how drivers manage the amount of fuel they use during a race. It's important because it can affect how fast they can go and when they need to stop for more fuel.
Fuel runs refer to the strategy of managing fuel consumption during a race, which can affect performance and pit stop timing. Teams must balance speed and fuel efficiency to optimize their race strategy.
"...what I love about Daytona, um, that we've gotten experience with Atlanta the last couple of years is the tires do wear..."
Tire wear is how much the tires get used up during a race. As they wear down, they can lose grip, which makes it harder for cars to handle well.
Tire wear refers to the degradation of tires over time due to friction with the road surface. It affects grip and handling, requiring teams to monitor and manage tire performance throughout a race.
"...you know, the rear handling. I basically was fighting front grip most of the day. Um, and it's, it's challenging..."
Front grip is how well the front tires of a car stick to the road when turning. Good front grip helps the car handle better and stay stable while driving fast.
Front grip refers to the traction and handling performance of the front tires of a car during cornering. It is crucial for maintaining control and stability, especially in racing conditions.
"...and it's just, um, you know, Daytona for a couple of years here, it was just all the grip you could ever need the entire run..."
Daytona is a well-known racetrack in Florida where many car races, including NASCAR events, take place. It's famous for its high speeds and exciting races.
Daytona refers to the Daytona International Speedway, a famous racetrack in Florida known for hosting the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious events in NASCAR. The track is known for its high-speed racing and unique challenges.
"...and handling is in play. So you went in a race, you got Michael Jordan in victory lane..."
Handling is how well a car drives and turns when you're behind the wheel. Good handling means the car responds well to your steering and feels stable.
Handling refers to how well a car responds to the driver's inputs, particularly during cornering and maneuvering. Good handling allows for better control and stability, especially at high speeds.
"...fighting brake issues at the short tracks and some of those, you know, even in place like Nashville..."
Short tracks are types of racetracks that are smaller than one mile long. They have tight corners and require different driving techniques than bigger tracks, making them exciting for both drivers and fans.
Short tracks are racetracks that are less than one mile in length. They often feature tight turns and require different driving strategies compared to larger tracks, making them unique in the racing world.
"...it's just, you know, for, for years, we've been fighting brake issues at the short tracks and some of those..."
Brake issues are problems that can happen with a car's brakes, which help it slow down or stop. In racing, having good brakes is really important to keep the car safe and perform well.
Brake issues refer to problems with a vehicle's braking system, which can affect performance and safety. In racing, effective brakes are crucial for controlling speed, especially on short tracks where frequent stopping is necessary.
"we had more downforce. Um, and I felt like, you know, guys like me were right there with him, if not better at some of these race tracks. And the more that the downforce has come off the car..."
Downforce is the force that pushes a car down onto the road, helping it stick better to the track. This is important for going fast around corners without sliding.
Downforce refers to the aerodynamic force that pushes a car down towards the track, enhancing tire grip and stability, especially at high speeds. It is crucial in racing as it allows cars to corner faster without losing traction.
"...we've added more horsepower now too. I mean, it just seems like something about that really fits how he drives a race car."
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. More horsepower usually means the car can go faster and accelerate quicker.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for power, indicating how much work an engine can perform over time. In automotive terms, more horsepower generally means better acceleration and higher top speeds.
"...to have some short run speed, but to prioritize the long run."
Short run speed is how fast a car can go in a short distance, like during a quick lap in a race. It's important for getting good times in qualifying.
Short run speed refers to a vehicle's ability to accelerate quickly over a brief distance, which is often critical during qualifying laps in racing. It contrasts with long run speed, which focuses on maintaining performance over extended periods.
"...but to prioritize the long run. Um, you know, it's telling for me..."
Long run means how well a car performs over a longer time, like during a whole race. It's about being steady and not wearing out the tires too quickly.
Long run refers to a vehicle's performance over an extended period, focusing on consistency and tire management rather than outright speed. In racing, it's crucial for maintaining competitive lap times throughout a race.
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Daytona 500 is a race, but when you win this race, you become a champion.
That's just that whole last lap, man. It was, it was really crazy. Some drivers go their whole
career without getting the kind of opportunity I had at the end of the race. The craziest part
for me as a driver in the seat is it just felt calm. Welcome to Kevin Harvick's happy hour,
presented by NASCAR on Fox. And today we have the 2,026 Daytona 500 champion Tyler Reddick.
That has to sound pretty good, man. It's, it's, it's sinking in. It really is. It's, uh,
yeah, I mean, gosh, I'm a unfortunate that number eight was, was the one that, that
I was able to get the job done. You know, it's, it's crazy, man. Um, you know, you go, you sometimes
some drivers go their whole career with, without getting the kind of opportunity I had at the
end of the race, uh, yesterday and, uh, just to be in that spot after so many years of it,
really falling apart early in the race or pretty much being out of it with about 15 to go,
to come up one spot a short last year, but survive to the end and, and have a shot at it,
was a huge step in the right direction. Um, and then last, last night yesterday to be able to, um,
do the execution part that we needed to, to be in the mix. Um, and obviously, I mean, just,
just find our way through the madness. Um, and once that's just that whole last lap, man,
it was, it was really crazy, um, watching it back, just the amount of things that were taking
place. But the craziest part for me as a driver in the seat is it just felt calm. Everything felt
like it was slow. And you know, I didn't really think about what I was going to do. I just did
it honestly. When you, when you look back, I mean, you, you won at Talladega, you've won at Daytona
now. And for, for, for me, when I was driving, I was like, I, you know, I don't ever, I never felt
really good as a, as a restrictor plate racer. You've, you've got a couple of wins on the
restrictor plates now. And, and some of it is just keeping your head in the game and being
patient and just knowing that you're going to lose some, you're going to win some, you're
going to crash some. How hard has it been to just wrap your arms around, because yesterday
to me, the race was really, those races are really hard now because of all the strategy
that goes into it. And then it's like, all right, let's go. Uh, let, let, let's go race. Now,
how hard is it from a driver standpoint to be comfortable when they say, let's go. And then
you get into that madness at the end of the race, after you've kind of just been chilling,
you know, for, for 20 or 30 laps.
Yeah. It's, it's definitely interesting. Um, and every year I just feel like it continues
to evolve and just get more complex, you know, there was a period in time when, you know,
everyone was going to say fuel that you could find a way to the front and it seems like the
field's getting smarter and adapting to that. So where you want to be in the field,
you know, each of the three fuel runs, if you will, yesterday in the race,
all played out a little bit differently. So you couldn't really pick up on a trend or a pattern,
you just, you constantly had to be changing and, and ready to adapt to a new, a new process on
how you're going to get to the front through the cycle. And yeah, I mean, it's, um, it's tricky.
I mean, I, what I love about Daytona, um, that we've gotten experience with Atlanta the last
couple of years is the tires do wear, um, you know, it's not like they, they quarter anything,
obviously, but you know, when it is finally time to go and we only take fuel under the green flag
stop, when we're going, the cars aren't driving good. Um, you know, some guys are losing the rear,
you know, the rear handling. I basically was fighting front grip most of the day. Um, and it's,
it's challenging, you know, you gotta, you gotta try and save your tires if you can a little bit.
Um, so you have something to go at the end and it's just, um, you know, Daytona for a couple
of years here, it was just all the grip you could ever need the entire run. Um, and the last
couple of times we've been here, it's, it's been tricky after the stop when you got to go all out
and handling is in play. So you went in a race, you got Michael Jordan in victory lane, you've
got Denny in victory lane, you've got sponsors, people madness. At what point did you look around
and, and look at the big Harley J Earl trophy and put your hands in the ground and, and, and just
start to take all that in because for, for me, I don't feel like I did a good job of, of really
taking all that in. But when you go back and look at it a couple of years later and, and you start
looking around at all the names that are the greats of, of this sport, have you had that moment of
aha yet where you, where you realized what you just did? I think it, it settled in pretty late
last night. It really finally sunk in. It was, I was soaking it up as, you know, I got to victory
lane and, you know, I got to spend some time on the front stretch with, with some of the team,
some of my pick crew, but getting everyone there in victory lane that really helped the moment
really sink in. You know, I have the Harley J Earl trophy in front of me, the perpetual trophy
behind me, the cars in victory lane, my parents, my family, my kids, my wife, the team, owners are
there. Um, yeah, in the moment in the car, cross start, finish line, I lost my mind momentarily.
That was, that was fun and awesome, right? But basically from the moment I celebrate on the
front stretch till halfway through victory lane, it just, it just didn't seem real. Um, it really
didn't. And, um, you know, getting to do all these extra things that we've, we've done so far this
morning, just really help it fully sink in. Um, you know, getting the jacket, uh, getting, getting
the Rolex watch, uh, putting your hands and feet in the concrete, your signature. Um, all those
things just really help it sink in that, you know, again, Daytona 500 is a race, but when you win
this race, you become a champion and it's truly a special moment, special feeling to have.
Coolest moment having Bo on top of the car after the race, as you got to celebrate so far.
I mean, I, I was looking for, for the little ones when I was on the front stretch, but I think my
wife made the right choice waiting to get us all in victory lane that, um, sharing that moment with
Bo was awesome. You know, rookie, everything he'd gone through, he missed some races last year. Um,
and I thought I was going to miss races too, um, to have him, you know,
back healthy and, and here at the track, you know, uh, about a week ago when we got down here to
Daytona, he finally started like crawling fast and moving around through the bus. So it's been
really cool to see, you know, him going through the natural steps he was as he grows up. Um,
so yeah, sharing it with my family was awesome, but typical MJ fashion, he shows up at the right
time, right? As we're supposed to pick up the Harley GRL trophy, he gets to, he gets to victory
lane. He's losing his mind. And for me, I just thought it was the perfect time and the perfect
place I asked Michael, Hey, we're about to pick this trophy up. Let's do it together. And so,
um, I think for me, you know, his timing, Michael's just got some incredible timing. That's for sure.
Yeah. Well, it's, it's pretty big deal. I mean, NBA all-star game was yesterday and he's standing
in victory lane at, at the Daytona 500. So I mean, it's, it's one of those, one of those scenarios,
like you say, he's got that impeccable timing to, to, to be at the right place at the right time.
But I want to talk about your support system because it's well documented, everything that
you went through with your family. You got 2311 in the middle of a lawsuit last year, didn't go
to victory lane. You have the expectations that we have for yourself, um, you know, to, to be a
winner and doing exactly what, what you're doing right now. How is, how is it different going into
this year? Knowing that personally you've got a lot of things settled. Your, your team is in a
whole different spot. Your organization is in a whole different spot from last year.
Explain to us the relief of just starting this season with everything
lined out and just what it feels, the difference it feels this year compared to,
to last year and through the, through the year last year.
Yeah. Um, you know, it was, it was, um, it was a, it was a harsh reality for us, you know, when the
year ended that we hadn't won and hadn't lived up to, you know, our own expectations or the
expectations that, that Michael and Denny or, or the, you know, the folks at airspeed have
for this 45 car. And, um, to be able to, um, you know, we, we had a lot of great conversations in
the off season, you know, some were tough conversations, but they needed to happen.
And, uh, to be able to, um, go through all that, and I feel like we came out of the off season
stronger to be able to, um, just ride away, have, have a gratifying moment like, like winning the
biggest race that we'll have all year, um, is, is quite a way for it to turn around for us. But
I definitely know that none of us will get too comfortable. We know we still have some work to
do. We want to see this at other race tracks that we have on the season. Um, but for us to kind of
multiple times throughout the race, have things not really go right. You could feel the tension
there and it's like, all right, we're getting ready to spiral in a direction we don't want to.
And we just did a good job of, okay, we weren't happy with how stage one went.
We're going to put it, it's done. We're just going to, we're going to put it over there.
We'll talk about it on Monday or Tuesday or whenever I have time now, um, you know, and
just move on reset. And, um, you know, I feel like in stage two, I made some decisions that just
weren't great. Um, and everyone was kind of, you know, we were kind of at ends on where we were at
at the moment. And we just did a good job of putting it behind us, resetting in stage three with,
with a new plan and kind of going forward with that. So it was the kind of day that,
um, you know, in 2025 would get away from us and we didn't let it, we didn't let it to start
off 2026. And that's a great feeling. So who's, is this like my wife was always my biggest critic.
She was always like, Hey, you're being a, you're being an asshole. You're whatever the,
whatever the situation was, that was a terrible interview. Is it your, is it your wife? Is it,
is it Billy? Is it Denny? Is it, is it just you looking at yourself? Because I feel like
in our sport, you always have to have a great support support system. And you have to,
you have to almost swallow your pride sometimes to make yourself a better person,
which makes you a better driver. Who is that in, in your circle of, of trust there?
I feel like a number of people for sure. There's been many, many a times that, uh,
I've gotten back to bus and my wife, you know, it's funny. There's, there's been some races
or something happened. And I thought I played out pretty good. And I get to the bus and she was
like, what was that? Just like, you know, she was wanting me to drive through somebody or,
or take it another step further. And it's always refreshing to get that from her.
But I feel like everyone collectively does a really good job of that. You know,
Denny has done a good job, um, in my, in my great moments and in my bad moments of holding me
accountable in both directions. Um, same thing with my crew chief. And it's something that,
you know, we again, talked about in the off season, you know,
don't let little things turn into big things. Let's have the hard conversation.
Let's get over with, let's address it so we can all move forward as a team together.
Um, so I feel like a number of people in the organization,
number of people in my life have kind of all shared those hats and the different,
different moments and the different areas of whether it's me personal or me as a driver.
Um, I think everyone does a really good job of holding each other accountable.
It was something we worked, you know, a lot on and off season,
just again, having those conversations. Um, and just making sure that we address
things before they get out of hand. And, um, yeah, it's one race into the season,
but, um, it's a really great start so far.
Well, it changes your whole season, uh, because, you know,
a lot of times you can win the Daytona 500 and make your whole year.
Uh, you know, it's, it's not what you want and it's not what I wanted.
Or, you know, all the, the guys that are racing at the top of the sport,
you want to win the Daytona 500 and then go win the rest of them.
So as you look forward and, and you go from, from Daytona 500 winter and you get through
all the work and you show up in Atlanta, what are the race tracks that you felt like as,
as the 45 team that, that you guys needed to work on to improve,
to get better, that were kind of the focus of, of 2026.
Yeah. I mean, for us, it's just, you know, for, for years, we've been fighting break issues at
the short tracks and some of those, you know, even in place like Nashville and stuff, places where,
you know, you're using kind of light to medium break pressure.
You know, and for us, it's super important for us this year to finally put that to bed
and address it. And it'd be in the past, you know, for three years, it's something that we've
fought and, um, you know, we, we've, uh, we've been addressing a lot of pushing a lot of resources
in direction of improving that. And I'm looking forward to seeing what that's going to be like
when we go to some of these short tracks, because I, they have been my weakest link, if you will.
And I feel like, you know, when we aren't having those issues, short tracks are one of our stronger,
stronger track types as well. You know, I feel like consistently we go to Richmond and we have
the speed and chances to win there. And I never thought that ever be a reality for me as a driver,
going there for the first time. So if we can put that stuff behind us and if we fixed it,
I think it'll fill that void that we've been missing on the consistency side of the short
tracks. And then obviously for me personally, um, you know, I, it drives me nuts going to
a road course and getting just dusted by Shane. So, um, we've been working really hard to work
around our, our road course program, um, look at some things, you know, we've, we've had decent
speed firing off and that's just not good enough. We've been, um, working hard, trying things,
seeing what things are like in SIM. So kind of across the board, think we're, uh, trying to take
it deeper dive, um, into what I want to feel out of the race car and trying to see if that can
extract some more, you know, short run speed, but most importantly, long run speed and number
of these tracks. Yeah. When you, you mentioned the road courses in, in Shane, and I've talked to,
I've done a couple of these interviews over, over the past few weeks. And that's been
something that all the drivers have brought up when I asked them about, about their season.
Is there something in particular, because it's been a wide variety of opinions and some, it's
just like, yeah, it starts when I get to the corner, starts when I hit the brakes, let off
the brakes, hit the throttle and get off the corner. So, uh, that, that SVG is better at.
And it's just so intriguing to me how one person can change what we all thought everybody was
pretty good at and, and take it to a different level. Is there something that you recognize
that you think you need to do better or is it just everything that he does better?
You know, um, I give him a lot of credit and I, I don't want it to sound like I'm taking any
away from him when I say this. It just, something about the direction, um, of road course racing
over the last, you know, year and a half has went in his wheelhouse. And so that's kind of telling
for me, obviously he was getting his, you know, getting his feet wet, understanding what the next
car is like versus what he was used to. When he came into this, you know, we had harder tires,
we had more downforce. Um, and I felt like, you know, guys like me were right there with him,
if not better at some of these race tracks. And the more that the downforce has come off the car,
the more that the tire softened up, we've added more horsepower now too. I mean,
it just seems like something about that really fits how he drives a race car. So trying to understand,
okay, what do I need to do or having my car, um, you know, to manage my stuff well, you know, he,
he does find a way to, to run fast laps and qualifying and I've been able to somewhat
match that. Um, but in the long run, I mean, he just, I wouldn't even say it's like you find
us another gear. He just manages the stuff great. So for us, it's taking a deeper dive at that,
maybe rethinking what we need out of our cars to, to have some short run speed, but to prioritize
the long run. Um, you know, it's telling for me, I, I don't want it to sound like I'm giving myself
too much credit, but when I pretty much copy and paste what he does in the car and, um,
you know, he's still driving away. It tells me that we've, we've got some work to do in other
areas. So, um, our, our hopes is that we've worked hard enough to be able to go challenge him at
these road courses this year. Last question is, as you go into this year, you had a good speed
weeks. Obviously it's, it's about what, it's what everybody was, was shooting for. We got a,
we got a different format with the chase this year and the point style DNFs are going to matter. We
saw all but one car during speed weeks. Josh Berry was the only car that wasn't involved in an accident
during speed weeks, uh, at some point. And now you're through that. You, you won the race and,
and now you can go to Atlanta where we all know that we can have carnage and things happen.
How much has that changed your thought process? Do you think about it differently?
Obviously winning makes up for, for a lot of things. How has that changed the conversations
and thoughts for you personally? I think it's just, you know, I feel like I was already kind of,
I've, I've been that way or been going in that direction. I know I may seem like
the super aggressive driver that takes a lot of risks. Um, but I remember back to my truck days
when it was a season long format, you know, it was a strength of mind having the,
the, you know, the larger sample size. Um, you know, when I ran Xfinity that second year with,
with RCR, um, you know, we run the regular season championship then too. So I know I may seem like
the guy that can take the risk, pop out there and win races and maybe be a little inconsistent. But
you know, in 2024 and at the tail end of 25, uh, when everything with rookie was going on,
one of our strengths were consistency. And so, um, I feel like this format is,
is great for me and how I like to approach the season. Um,
and I'm excited what that means going in Atlanta. You know, we,
we did have one DNF last year at the break yard. Um, but you know, again, with, we,
we ran more laps than any of your car in 2025. That'll be important this year to continue that.
We did a good job of that in 2024 as well. Um, and then again, you know, last year we scored them,
scored the most amount of points on the speedways, uh, against the field. And I think, you know, we're
kind of right on track with where we left off in 2025 in that sense. Well, I'm happy for you,
man. I'm happy for you. I'm happy for 2311. I'm happy for the sport, uh, that we don't have to
deal with all the chaos that you guys were having to deal with on a week to week basis this year.
It seemed, it seemed like the, the enthusiasm and excitement and everything that we got to witness
this week at the Daytona 500 was back to normal. And I'm sure that for you personally, professionally,
it has to feel pretty good, but take it all in, man. You just won the, the biggest race of the
year. Enjoy it. Uh, you're going to be a great Daytona 500 champion and, and good luck with,
with everything that you have going on this year. Yeah. Thank you. It's nice. I've, uh,
I haven't been in New York in a hot minute. I, me and the family week, me and Alexa get to go up there,
do some media up there. That'll be a lot of fun. Um, yeah, it's, uh, it's exciting.
It's, it's, it's an, it's an awesome privilege to be able to be about around and do the media and
get to see the, the big, uh, the big city too. Well, congratulations. Have fun and we'll see you next
weekend in Atlanta. Sounds good. Thanks Kevin.
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