After what has been a difficult few months for Tyler Reddick, New Hampshire initially looked set to be another frustrating weekend, with the 23XI Racing driver struggling in practice. But he bounced back in qualifying, earning the pole for the Dollar Tree 301. His team owner Michael Jordan’s message earlier this month may have been just the injection of motivation the No. 45 team needed heading into the session.
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“I don’t want to do like we did at Richmond and start in the 30s. Had a little bit better metric this time around, so just had to commit and just really proud of this team. We did not have a good practice, but that’s a good way to turn it around,” Tyler Reddick said in an interview after claiming pole at the NHMS.
The result was impressive considering where the No. 45 Toyota stood earlier in the weekend. During practice, Reddick managed only 31st on the timing sheets, leaving plenty of work for 23XI Racing before qualifying.
Reddick admitted he was unhappy with how practice unfolded. The team struggled to put together a clean lap and did not have a chance to properly evaluate the car’s speed in clear air. Yet there was one encouraging sign.
Reddick felt the car had grip during the shorter runs. The challenge was finding a way to translate that potential into one complete lap.
That is exactly what he did in qualifying. Instead of starting deep in the field as he did at Richmond, where he started 32nd, Reddick will now lead the field to the green flag.
23XI Racing also recently received some timely perspective from one of the greatest competitors in sports history, Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls legend visited the team’s Airspeed facility as Reddick and the No. 45 group worked through their difficult stretch.
Crew chief Billy Scott revealed that Jordan spoke about the adversity he experienced throughout his own career.
“And I think when he puts it in perspective that what he’s lived through and the adversity he’s had to overcome, kind of every step along the way, even in their successful championship seasons, I think that is a great reminder. Let’s everybody know that even the greatest have to overcome things. We were fortunate to have that access,” Scott said on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Jordan’s message was that setbacks are part of the process, even for teams and athletes who eventually reach the highest level. That perspective could be especially valuable for Reddick.
Reddick entered 2026 with plenty to prove after a winless 2025 campaign, but he quickly changed the narrative. He made history as the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win the season’s opening three races. Wins at Darlington and Kansas followed.
But the momentum eventually faded into a summer slump. From first in the standings, Reddick went down to fourth. The speed has not completely disappeared, but he has struggled to put everything together across an entire weekend.
Reddick’s response at New Hampshire was immediate. Going from 31st in practice to first in qualifying suggests 23XI Racing found something when the pressure was highest. Now comes the harder part, which is converting the pole into a strong race result, preferably a win.