NASCAR Driver Tyler Reddick Admits To Breaking Rule To Help Team Owner Denny Hamlin

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NASCAR driver Tyler Reddick is in hot water with his team and may also be in trouble with the series after he admitted to breaking a rule to help team owner Denny Hamlin over his radio at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

Reddick, who runs for Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s team 23XI Racing, won the regular season NASCAR Cup Series championship. But two difficult races to start the playoffs put him at risk of elimination at Bristol.

Like Reddick, Hamlin had a strong regular season but struggled at Atlanta and Watkins Glen. That meant he entered the race at Bristol below the cut line and in even worse shape than Reddick.

Hamlin made up points in the race’s first stage to put himself in better shape. But he was still at risk of missing the cut. Late in the second stage, Reddick restarted ahead of Hamlin, but ultimately finished behind him in fourth, while Hamlin took third.

That meant Hamlin earned eight critical points, while Reddick took home just seven.

Shortly after, Reddick came over the radio and told crew chief Billy Scott, “Make sure the 11 knows what I did for him.”

Scott, shocked by the message, responded “I hope like hell you didn’t do anything for him. We’re racing his a– and it’s close.”

Reddick’s message appeared to indicate that he did not race Hamlin as hard as he could have in order to allow the 11 car to finish ahead of him.

If that was the case, it means Reddick violated a NASCAR rule with states that “NASCAR requires its competitors to race at 100 percent of their ability with the goal of achieving their best possible finishing position in an event.”

He also appeared to do so in order to specifically benefit his team owner. But Hamlin does not drive for 23XI. Instead, he drives for Joe Gibbs Racing. So Reddick would have helped a different driver and a different team.

The one-point difference could also knock Reddick out of the playoffs. Should he have an issue later in the race, he could still drop below the cut line.

He’ll almost certainly face questions about the message, and his driving, after the race regardless of the result.