Tyler Reddick Didn’t Blame Anyone After San Diego: ‘Today’s Result’s on Me’

For most of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Tyler Reddick has looked like a driver in complete control.

He won the Daytona 500. He built a massive points lead. He consistently found himself near the front of the field while the rest of the championship contenders spent much of the spring trying to keep pace.

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But after Sunday’s race on the San Diego Street Course, Reddick sounded less like a driver protecting a points lead and more like one searching for answers.

“We’re going down the wrong path right now and we need to stop it.”

That’s not the kind of statement fans usually hear from the NASCAR Cup Series points leader.

And that’s why it mattered.

Tyler Reddick Didn’t Lose the Race in San Diego. He Lost Control of the Narrative.

For much of Sunday’s race, Reddick appeared headed toward another statement victory.

Despite starting from the rear after unapproved adjustments following qualifying, the driver of the No. 45 Toyota methodically worked his way through the field and found himself leading late in the race.

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Then everything unraveled.

A mistake entering Turn 2 opened the door for teammate Corey Heim. Contact followed as the two 23XI Racing drivers battled for the lead. Shortly afterward, Reddick suffered a flat tire and watched what could have been a victory become a 25th-place finish.

Many drivers would have blamed circumstances.

Reddick didn’t.

“I’d say the only way this day could have been worse is if somehow the contact we had took him out of winning this race as well,” Reddick said.

“Above all else, I made a couple mistakes and it cost me the lead. Then I made some more mistakes trying to get the lead back.”

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Then came the line that defined the entire interview.

“Today’s result’s on me.”

The NASCAR Standings Suddenly Look Different

One bad race doesn’t create a championship crisis.

Two difficult races in five weeks, however, can change the conversation.

Not long ago, Reddick’s regular-season title seemed almost inevitable. His Daytona 500 victory launched what became one of the strongest starts in the garage, and at one point his advantage atop the standings exceeded 100 points.

That cushion is gone.

A 35th-place finish at Michigan and a 25th-place finish in San Diego have allowed Denny Hamlin to steadily chip away at the lead.

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After San Diego, Reddick’s advantage over Hamlin sits at just eight points.

The standings still say Reddick is No. 1.

His comments suggest he knows the trend is moving in the wrong direction.

“We’re just not getting the job done, not winning races, not having good point days,” Reddick said. “We’ve got to figure it out.”

For the first time all season, the pressure appears to be building around the No. 45 team.

Denny Hamlin Heard Something Different

While Reddick focused on what went wrong, Hamlin saw a completely different picture.

As both a championship rival and co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin watched his organization produce one of the strongest performances in team history.

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Corey Heim won.

Bubba Wallace finished second.

Several 23XI-affiliated Toyotas spent the afternoon running near the front.

To Hamlin, the bigger story wasn’t what Reddick lost. It was what the organization proved.

“If I could have one wish, it would be that all of our teams be very proud of what they did today,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin understands why Reddick left frustrated.

But he also understands something Reddick may not want to hear right now.

The speed that made him the championship favorite hasn’t disappeared.

The problem is that the margin for error has.

And after San Diego, the NASCAR Cup Series points leader sounds like he knows it.