Denny Hamlin pressed on Tyler Reddick status after NASCAR took charter

Right now, 23XI Racing does not have any charters, and Denny Hamlin has to be careful not to lose his star drivers. Hamlin puts on the hat of driver and team owner in NASCAR. His lawsuit against the sport has taken a turn for the worse recently.

Now, 23XI and Front Row have already expressed that they are fine racing as open teams, if they must. That will at least work for the rest of the season.

Tyler Reddick first came to 23XI Racing in 2023. He had originally signed a deal that would have kept him at RCR until 2024, when he would make the move to 23XI. However, upon hearing about the deal, Childress cut ties with Reddick for the 2024 season and picked up Kyle Busch in his place.

Without a charter for Reddick, Denny Hamlin could lose his winningest driver. Seen as a potential champion one day, Reddick is a coveted driver. If he is technically a free agent, teams are going to make an offer on him.

When asked about the situation, Hamlin kept things hush-hush at Dover this weekend. Not a lot from him on the subject. “I don’t have any direct comment to that,” Hamlin said, via Jeff Gluck of The Athletic.

Now, Tyler Reddick appears very loyal to 23XI Racing. He gets to compete for Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan, and on a team that is on the cutting edge of the future of NASCAR. That is, if they have a future in NASCAR. This lawsuit could completely change that, and you couldn’t blame Reddick for locking down job security over staying loyal to an organization that might not exist next season.

Denny Hamlin could lose Tyler Reddick to free agency

Driver contracts are very detailed and include all kinds of provisions and prerequisites. Denny Hamlin knows how it works; he’s a driver. So, he knows exactly what is going on with Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Riley Herbst right now.

Because no matter how loyal those drivers are, they are now free agents. Without charters, the contract for those drivers is most likely breached, and if they choose to, they are well within their rights to hear out offers from other teams and make a decision based on that.

Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports was concerned earlier this week about 23XI keeping Reddick. What happens if Roger Penske comes calling and offers to put him in the No. 2 car? What if Hendrick makes a power move and tells Reddick the 48 car is his if he wants it?

The good news is, as far as equipment goes, Tyler Reddick is in a great position. He isn’t going to upgrade his facilities or his car setups unless he leaves for Penske or Hendrick.

There is no room at Joe Gibbs. I don’t think he goes back to RCR for any reason. RFK Racing, Legacy Motor Club, Trackhouse Racing, Spire Motorsports, and Kaulig Racing either don’t have room or don’t have the pedigree to take Reddick from 23XI. So, is there anywhere for Reddick to go, even if he wanted to? Not likely, unless a team is willing to move on from another driver to bring Reddick in.