NASCAR silly season is a few months away, with some of the best drivers in stock car racing poised to be at the center of it. Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing is among the looming free agents next offseason, but there’s already some buzz about his future.
In the 2026 NASCAR preview episode of The Teardown, reporter Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic said that the expectation is 23XI will sign Reddick to a contract extension. While the driver of the No. 45 car could immediately become one of the most coveted free-agent drivers this offseason, it appears that 23XI is ready to do whatever it takes to re-sign him.
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“Expectation is that he’s not going anywhere. 23XI will break the bank to pay for him and keep him.”
Jordan Bianchi on Tyler Reddick’s pending free agent status
Reddick, 30, is coming off one of his worst seasons in recent years. While he finished ninth in points, he failed to record a win and set his lowest totals in top fives (seven), top 10s (14) and laps led (169) since 2021.
There are reasons to expect a turnaround in 2026. Last season, Reddick dealt with the uncertainty created by 23XI’s lawsuit against NASCAR that resulted in the team being uncharted for the second half of the season. Additionally, Reddick and his wife’s infant son was found to have a tumor in his chest that affected his heart. Thankfully, Rookie Reddick is now doing better.
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Prior to last season, Reddick had won multiple races and had double-digit top fives in three consecutive years. He also averaged 523.3 laps led during that three-year span. He was also just a year removed from winning the regular-season championship in 2024 with 23XI and becoming the first driver in team history to reach the Championship 4.
With Reddick headed for a new deal, the plans for 23XI Racing seem to be clear. The team will be led by Reddick and Bubba Wallace for the foreseeable future, with top prospect Corey Heim presumably poised to replace Riley Herbst as the team’s third full-time driver in 2027.
After winning the Truck Series championship following a historic season in 2025, Heim will be splitting time across the national series this season. For 23XI, he will be behind the wheel of the No. 67 car for 12 races this season, including the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
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