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23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick was expected to be challenging at the front last Sunday in Las Vegas. The #45 Toyota Camry TRD driver's typical wall-hugging technique and the team's apparent pace on intermediate tracks this season seemed like the perfect matchup for him.
However, the South Point 400 did not pan out necessarily in the same manner 23XI Racing drivers hoped it would. With Toyota-manufactured cars typically having an edge on the 1.5-mile-long tracks, 23XI Racing was one of the teams where this was evident the most.
Despite what seemed to be an advantage for the four Toyota drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8, only Christopher Bell could challenge Kyle Larson for the win.
Tyler Reddick elaborated on why the 400-mile-long event turned out to be a "head-scratcher" for the racing outfit, along with his performance in the race. In a post-race interview with Bob Poclrass, he said:
"It was kind of a head-scratcher. It kind of made sense with how I felt all day long. Practice that thing (#45 Toyota) was a rocket ship but it was a handful. At the same time today for whatever reason I felt like it was great at moments and at others I felt like I was getting ready to wreck."
"It was just an absolute handful. Unlike we normally have on the mile-and-a-halfs."
Homestead-Miami Speedway will be hosting the next race of the Round of 8. It is another track that plays to the strengths of Tyler Reddick and the 23XI Racing group.
Tyler Reddick previews his performance for the upcoming Homestead-Miami race
Tyler Reddick is fighting to get into the Championship 4 for the first time in his new role as a Toyota driver. The 27-year-old seemed to be cautiously optimistic about his chances going into the second Round of 8 race next Sunday.
The Corning, California native spoke about his previous performances at the Florida track, telling Bob Pockrass:
"Homestead is a track for me that I've had a lot of big moments at. Last year with the Next Gen car I think we were a second or third-place car to (Kyle) Larson, he was in his own zip code."
The 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 will go live from Homestead-Miami Speedway next Sunday as drivers prepare to lock themselves in the 2023 Cup Series title decider.
