NASCAR Cup Series returns to COTA in 2025 and Tyler Reddick, driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team, is aiming for another victory. Fans can watch him race on March 2, 2025. We caught up with Tyler to discuss his life in racing and his love for Austin.
Your win at COTA in 2023 was huge. How did the track and the atmosphere in Austin compare to other places you compete?
The track itself is one of my favorites. When you go to the race track you get a big mix of people from different parts of Austin. Whether it's your downtown Austin area or people from out in the country that farm, you just feel like Austin has a whole lot going on in it.
Any takeaways from your COTA win that you’ll carry into this year’s race?
The track is the same shape, but the amount of grip that it has now is significantly increased from 2023. There’s some things that you can carry over, but but also different sections of the track have been repaved and smoothed out and gained a lot of grit, whether it's been for Moto GP or for the F1 cars.
You visited the UT Longhorn Racing Garage last year before the race—what was that experience like, and how important is it for you to connect with the next generation of engineers and racers?
It’s very important. For me, it was fun to spend time with them and learn about the cars they're building, the tools that they're using. They're using a lot of the same programs, software and hardware that a lot of the race teams utilize. It’s also fun to collectively talk about racing backgrounds, what similarities we have between my racing upbringing and theirs and give them insight to what extent NASCAR is engineering-driven and technology-driven.
You’re racing on Michael Jordan’s team: Would it be easier for you to beat Michael Jordan in a one-on-one basketball game, or for him to beat you on the track?
That's really tricky. I don't think I've ever beat him at basketball, and there's at least a chance he could figure out the car thing. I mean, he's an athlete, and anyone that has a heightened sense of what they need to ask their body to do…But there's no shot I could ever beat in basketball.
In 2023 you made hats at Maufrais. Do you still wear your hat?
I try to save it for special occasions. The last time I wore it was a Christmas party. My wife, I've caught her pulling it out of the box and putting it on her head a few times too. More than anything, I just really have a huge appreciation for what they do.
Do you and your team have any other must-do’s when in Austin?
Me, my wife and my son travel to a lot of these races together and every time we go to Austin they take off in the rental car and go up to a water park in Round Rock. We end the night in the water park, get dinner and then go back to the track. I love live music and depending on where you're at in Austin, you get a different flavor of music. It’s the tagline, right? Austin likes to keep it weird and I feel like I myself. I'm a unique individual, I don't always prefer the most straightforward thing.
What are some of your hobbies outside of racing?
One thing that's been consistent throughout my whole life is my love and passion for cars. I grew up in the dealerships that my mom and my dad worked at, so I just grew up around cars. What got my start in racing was playing video games. When you become a dad, you get a few more responsibilities, but it's something I still enjoy doing in my free time. But it's also very important to be present and be at home and be mentally present, physically present, at home with my family and try to give them the best that I have.
Your social media posts featuring scooters and shoes have become popular—are those something you enjoy doing with your son?
My wife gives me grief about it, because she says I stole his idea, and it kind of was, he's always really liked scooters, and so did I when I was younger. We started bringing them to the track because it gives us something fun to do outside. What started as a way to hang out in the neighborhood turned into an efficient way to do the track walks. And it was a great opportunity to showcase the Jordans and spotlight some of my favorites that they send to me on a monthly basis.
What’s your favorite quote?
Someone once told me, if you try to split yourself up 50/50, you're gonna fail. It’s really important to be 100% dedicated to family and 100% dedicated to racing.