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Tyler Reddick reiterated his affection for the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, as NASCAR returned to the track after a year of absence. The WISE Power 400 marked the 32nd Cup Series event held at the California track.
Driving for Richard Childress Racing, Reddick looked forward to the event at the 2-mile oval, looking to further cement the bowtie's dominance at the venue. When asked about what attracts him to Auto Club Speedway, he said:
“Auto Club is my favorite track on the West Coast swing because of the many racing lanes.”
Since the track was not a part of the 2021 season, Tyler Reddick was unsure about how the newer generation of cars were going to react. The 26-year-old driver described the newer cars as "unforgiving" and believed drivers will make mistakes, saying:
“Heading back to Auto Club Speedway for the first time in two years and with the new Next Gen car will bring a lot of unknowns. I’ve only been to Auto Club in the Cup Series once and it was in 2020. It’s just that type of racetrack, even when you’ve got the best car, it’s easy to make mistakes and step over the line. This car has already proved it’s unforgiving, you’ve got to drive the daylights out of it, but it will fight you if you don’t respect it.”
Tyler Reddick also believes that the shorter practice session duration, coupled with higher tire degradation, will dictate a tire-management approach to the race. This will also be compounded by the lack of time for teams to set up their cars.
Tyler Reddick's Auto Club outing hampered by crash
Tyler Reddick, who drives the #8 Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing, was left wanting more at the WISE Power 400.
After possessing the lead for a major part of the race, his efforts came undone when he made contact with William Byron. The #8 Chevrolet was slow through turns 1 and 2 when Byron seemingly drove into Reddick, whose car sustained major damage. Reddick was ultimately relegated to the 24th position after the incident.
NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass tweeted an interview Reddick had with Fox Sports, where he complemented his team, saying:
“Really good execution the whole team had. I mean my pit crew was killing it for me.”
Watch the interview below:
NASCAR will now travel to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Pennzoil 400 on March 6, where Reddick will be aiming to improve his fortunes.
