"They can't put it together": NASCAR insider highlights a concerning disparity between Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace’s pit crews 

As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin this weekend, 23XI Racing brings two of its drivers into the championship fight - Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota and Bubba Wallace in the No. 23. Wallace enters ninth in the playoff standings after securing his berth with a victory at the Brickyard, while Reddick is 14th, qualifying on points but without a win across the 26-race regular season.

On paper, both drivers bring strong credentials into the postseason. Wallace was one of only two drivers, along with regular-season champion William Byron, to rank inside the top 10 in all five NASCAR Insights statistical categories: passing, defense, speed, restarts and pit crew performance. Reddick is front of the field in passing and speed, but a glaring weak spot has raised concerns.

Breaking down the numbers on Inside the Race, Steve Letarte, Alex Weaver and NASCAR Insights' Russell Wenrich pointed to one issue that could define Reddick's playoffs.

"I have a list of drivers wrote down that I think are championship four contenders. And at the bottom I have the 45 with a circle and a question mark because I want to make him a championship four contender. But Russell, I don't know if we've seen championship four speed or performance. I mean, we're winless after 26 for Tyler Reddick," Letarte said (9:56 onwards).

Wenrich explained the disparity in more detail:

"I have him as like the fifth best car of the year on speed. And his stage points are incredible, too. He scored 167 stage points... So for him it's they just can't put it together. Like his pit crew is probably his worst category, when I look at the way I judge these guys. Like he's fifth fastest on speed. He's the fourth best at passing. He's eighth best on restarts, but he's the 15th best pit crew."

For comparison, Bubba Wallace's crew ranked second overall in the regular season. Wallace finished seventh in passing, ninth in defense, eighth in speed and third in restarts, despite suffering through seven DNFs and a slip in average finish from 15.3 in 2024 to 18.9 this year. That execution edge on pit road could prove decisive.

Bubba Wallace (R) and Tyler Reddick before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol. Source: Getty

Weaver pressed the point:

"So, that's interesting to me, too. The fall off of the 23 and the 45 on pit road. I don't know where that has gone wrong." (11:04 onwards)

Tyler Reddick's average finish this season sits at 15.4, compared to a 12.9 average start. Despite having the fourth-most stage points in the series with 167, costly pit road miscues, including a late mistake at Daytona, have stifled his results. After a hot start to the season, the 2024 regular season champion closed the 26-race stretch with only one top 10 in his final six outings.

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Tyler Reddick's playoff opener at Darlington

NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick before the Go Bowling at The Glen. Source: Imagn

The postseason begins on August 31 at 6 p.m. ET with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (USA Network). The 367-lap grind is the Round of 16 opener and one of NASCAR’s most punishing events.

Tyler Reddick enters with an encouraging record at The Track Too Tough to Tame. In 12 career starts, he has earned four top-five finishes, including two runner-up runs and six top 10s. The 23XI Racing driver has also led 319 laps at the South Carolina oval, though a win has eluded him to date.

When asked on Inside the Race if a surprise result could shake up the opening round, Steve Letarte circled Reddick as the driver most likely to flip the script.

"So I think Tyler Reddick could get his first win of the season… If you're asking for what could shockingly happen in round one, that would be the one for me… I think Reddick could win at Darlington. I think it's a low grip racetrack. 23XI, like we forget how good Bubba was at Richmond... Bubba and Reddick were unbelievable. At least two of the best three cars.” (6:21 onwards)

For a driver still chasing his first win of 2025, Darlington could be the moment Tyler Reddick reclaims momentum. But unless his No. 45 crew solves its pit road woes, his championship hopes may never leave the garage.