Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher late pit incident at Darlington

One of the most pivotal and debated moments from Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway came down to a split-second decision entering Turn 3. According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., it wasn’t controversy; it was just Darlington being Darlington.

Late in Stage 3, Tyler Reddick made contact with Chris Buescher as the RFK Racing driver slowed to enter pit road. The contact sent Buescher into the wall, derailing what had been a strong run near the front, while Reddick continued on to eventually win the race.

But for Earnhardt Jr., the root of the incident goes deeper than just driver error: “This is where I get annoyed by the code words,” Earnhardt Jr. said on The Dale Jr. Download. “Somebody comes down pit road, and they make a mistake on pit road. … It’s because somebody said a code word. … What are we doing with these codes?”

Earnhardt Jr. pointed to the growing complexity of communication between teams and drivers, including coded language and limited signaling, as factors that can create confusion in critical moments. In this case, that lack of clarity may have played a role in how the situation unfolded. At the same time, he stopped short of placing blame on either driver.

“I don’t think that there’s a fault,” he added. “I think it’s just racing.”

Alas, the context matters. Darlington’s narrow racing surface and extreme tire falloff create constant closing rates between cars on different strategies. Drivers on fresh tires often gain rapidly on those staying out, while late pit calls can force sudden, unpredictable moves. Especially when positions are being fought for at the front.

“You got guys on tires that have more speed. We have seen this at Darlington so many times,” Earnhardt Jr. added.

From Reddick’s perspective, the move was based on momentum and expectation: “He has a rough corner off of [Turn] 2, and I have a bunch of momentum,” Reddick said regarding the incident. “I definitely did not think he was going to go to the bottom.”

By the time Buescher slowed and turned down, Reddick was already committed.

“When I saw him hit the brakes, I was committed. … Unfortunately, we met front to back,” he added.

Buescher, for his part, took a measured approach. He called it a “racing deal” despite the damage that ultimately cost him a chance at the win. And that’s exactly where Earnhardt Jr. landed.

At a track like Darlington, where every inch matters and every decision carries risk, moments like this aren’t unusual. They’re part of the challenge. Sometimes, they’re simply unavoidable.