Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing team has been penalized by NASCAR for infractions found during pre-qualifying for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday.
According to NASCAR.com, the No. 45 team was discovered to have breached Section 14.11.2.1.A of the NASCAR Rule Book, which specifies that “Any and all ballast added to the vehicle must be secured inside a ballast container(s).” The addition of more ballast containers to the chassis is prohibited.
The team was docked 10 points in the owners and drivers rankings, according to the competition officials.
After NASCAR learned of the violation on Friday, the 23XI Racing team was denied a pit spot for the race. Additionally, Billy Scott, the crew chief, was suspended by NASCAR for the rest of the race weekend. Reddick battled his way to a 22nd-place finish under the direction of 23XI Racing performance director Dave Rogers.
The 27-year-old driver is in his fourth full Cup Series season and his first with 23XI Racing. He won the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on March 26 at the Circuit of The Americas, moving him up to tenth in the standings. Reddick has made 13 starts this season and has added six top 10s and four top 5s.
He had a breakthrough year in 2022, which was also his final one at the wheel of the No. 8 vehicle for Richard Childress Racing. Reddick concluded with three victories and a 14th-place point overall.
Reddick joined 23XI Racing earlier than expected; he was supposed to do so in 2024. He replaced Kurt Busch, who suffered an injury to his head in the second half of the 2022 season and ended his career as a full-time racer.
Reddick’s hiring was the proper one, and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin confirmed back in March that he can support the team for many years to come.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s why I went after him as early as I did… I wanted to get the jump on all the other teams because I knew he was going to be the most coveted free agent in a very very long time,” Hamlin said.
“That’s why I got the jump on it. It cost me a lot of money to do it but it pays dividends… You have to have that driver that you feel like can carry you to championships and wins for decades.
“I think we have that guy. It’s not going to stop at road courses. Dirt racing, short tracks, speedways, he’s got what it takes on every racetrack we go to.”
