During the Michigan race weekend, the motorsport community was shocked to learn of Scott Bloomquist’s terrible passing.
While many drivers stepped in to honor the legendary dirt racer, Tyler Reddick felt a particular connection to him. The 23XI driver later said that his victory was for his longtime coach Bloomquist after winning the race in Michigan.
Throughout the race, Tyler Reddick held his strong starting position, having started the race in second place. There were an astounding 26 lead changes during the race, but the Toyota driver led the most laps (29 total) over the two-mile course.
His desire to honor the late dirt racing legend Scott Bloomquist, who the motorsports community lost recently in an aircraft disaster, was attributed with his outstanding performance.
After the race, the driver of the No. 45 was overcome with emotion. He clarified that the former dirt racing champion served as both a mentor and an inspiration to him.
In addition, he had been going through a lot of difficulty these past several days due to his profound loss. The 23XI driver went on to say that Bloomquist and all of his loved ones are the beneficiaries of his victory in Michigan.
"I can't help but sit here in victory lane and think of Scott Bloomquist."
Tyler Reddick pays tribute to the racing legend who died in a plane crash last week. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/7qKeHgM7T5
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 19, 2024
Tyler Reddick claims Bubba Wallace’s garage to be one of the strongest on the field
On the other side, Reddick has guaranteed a postseason berth after winning the 2024 race. The same cannot be said for his teammate, who has placed fifth five times but has yet to win.
Seeing that his teammate’s destiny in the playoffs will be determined in the coming weeks, the 28-year-old pumped up Wallace, saying he was one of the most reliable drivers on the circuit. Additionally, he claimed that the No. 23 side of the garage has been among the strongest all season, so despite the growing difficulty, the 30-year-old could not be discouraged.
I believe both outcomes were possible. It wasn’t going to change #23’s mentality, so they’re in a terrific place. Over the last five weeks, they’ve been playing extremely well; both of us have been among the strongest teams on a consistent basis.
Therefore, I believe it will take much more than that to change 23XI’s perspective. During an interview with Frontstrecth, Tyler Reddick stated Aside from this, Reddick is now dominating the standings for the regular season and is expecting to win the championship. But with just a 10-point advantage over Chase Elliott, that could vanish in the blink of an eye if he has a poor weekend in the next two races.
