Although Michael Jordan’s co-owned NASCAR operation has pulled Tyler Reddick to the top of the field and the peak of his career, his team isn’t getting carried away. Reddick’s four race wins in the first six races could not have a lasting edge, as his crew chief points out the scope of other competitive drivers also achieving similar success before the Chase for the championship begins.

Billy Scott reflects on Tyler Reddick’s championship chances

“I think it’s not as big as it appears,” said Scott, crew chief of the #45 team. He has been around the sport for a long time to understand the patterns, and he definitely sees one with his driver’s win streak. Scott claims that even though the four race wins appear big enough right now to contend for the title, that might not be the case in the future, as other drivers will also win races.

“I think it looks like a big number and because we have four wins to start off, it is a big number. But it can also be overcome equally as quick I think it’s anybody else gets on a hot streak. There’s a handful of guys that are going to get multiple wins before the Chase starts you expect,” Scott told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Understandably, Tyler Reddick has a major advantage over the rest of the field right now, but because of the Chase format, he will have to keep up this performance throughout the season to have a realistic shot at the title. In the scenario that other drivers start winning and also make it to the top 16 for the Chase along with him, his chances will decrease.

As of now, it is almost guaranteed that he will make it to the Chase, but the team will still have to keep performing at its peak. They will have to clinch regular top 10 finishes, along with possible stage wins to score the most points, considering the team does not have the chance to win every race. But at the same time, the Toyota domination is helping them, as long as the Chevys don’t catch up.

But will 23XI Racing be able to keep up with this win streak? A recent comment from Tyler Reddick on his race wins could further cast doubt on the team’s realistic chances of a title triumph.

Reddick reveals huge downside despite dominant 2026 start

While Reddick should be all out celebrating his victories, he recently revealed the sloppy truth behind them. He claimed that the races hadn’t been very clean, as there were minor issues that they had to battle throughout these events, which could have possibly hampered their overall competitiveness.

“The things that have come our way in the first couple of races that we’ve gone on to win, they haven’t been clean races,” he said. “Daytona, the strategy went sideways. We claw back our way to the front to win that one. EchoPark Speedway, I literally wrecked with like 30 laps to go. COTA, we think we have a loose wheel. We risk it. We stay out. And then this past weekend at Darlington, our alternator fails lap one.”

Darlington was especially tough for him and the team. The race began with chaos as he lost voltage in the car. The team even asked him to shut down the air conditioning to bring up the power. But then it was all Billy Scott’s peak experience speaking, as he pitted Reddick to change the battery. Sure, he lost places, but the increased horsepower for the race made it easier for him to overtake, and the advantage that Toyota had on the track further helped him to recapture the lead and win the race.

Tyler Reddick is quite serious this season. He has been spending ample time in the simulator, and at the same time, 23XI Racing seems to be on the right way towards development. All of this, paired with a strong car from Toyota, is assisting him to assert dominance over the field.

While that continues, there is a certain chance of him losing out to the drivers later in the season, but as Kevin Harvick assured more recently, he will have a much better chance of contending for the title than the Chevys. But then again, there’s the statement from Scott, which raises some doubts over the same. Will Reddick be able to overcome those?