Tyler Reddick Offers Restart Advice to Frustrated Shane van Gisbergen
Tyler Reddick's eighth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 14, 2026, marked a slight improvement in his recent results rut. The 23XI Racing driver sits 24 points behind Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin, who finished 12th.
What happened?
Van Gisbergen struggled to get attached to Reddick on the final green-white-chequered restart, ultimately finishing outside the top 10. The Toyota driver was slow away, and instead of pushing Reddick, he had help from Richard Childress Racing's Austin Dillon immediately behind.
Why it matters for Tyler Reddick
Reddick spoke with van Gisbergen immediately after the race to offer some tips to avoid a repeat. "[I was] just talking about how important that launch is for all of us," Reddick told Frontstretch. "He didn't lose a lot of ground, I lost a lot. Just trying to help ourselves have a shot at winning, that's all. Just anything-'Hey man, this is what I saw. This is what would have helped'. That's all it is."
What comes next?
The NASCAR Cup Series continues at North Wilkesboro Speedway on July 20 for the Window World 250. Reddick's result stemmed the bleeding of his recent results rut, and he collected four bonus points. "We didn't get the finish but we got good stage points," said Reddick. "Just wish we could have got the finish there. Solid day, just didn't end it where we ran most of it."
Reddick dismissed manufacturer ties for the way the final two laps played out. "I get it. As we get racing there, the Chevys are going to stick with each other. That's not what it was about, it's just super crucial on overtime restart to be tight together," Reddick explained. "He told me he just missed a little bit. So, that's all it was. Just a conversation about that."
Van Gisbergen was equally frustrated with his restart, which was compounded by a moment on the final lap when he got tight in the final turns. He had run as high as third before coming to the white flag. "I just didn't do a good enough job getting attached to him (Tyler Reddick) and dropped off and then the #3 (Austin Dillon) wasn't there to help me," said van Gisbergen. "I could have managed that better and I needed to be attached to him, and the #12 (Ryan Blaney) and the #23 (Bubba Wallace) were on the inside. They just took off. They did a good job. He (Reddick) just gave me a couple of pointers. I need to be better at the restarts still."
Celebrating Trackhouse Tuesday with a fresh @Wendys scheme for North Wilkesboro.
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