The Southern 500 on Sunday had a lot on the line for everyone throughout the field. Some more than others as the fight for the final three spots in the 2024 NASCAR playoffs was on the line. Lost in that translation was also a fight for the regular season championship. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick had more than just that fight going on. He had to deal with the NASCAR version of the ‘Flu game’ much like what team co-owner Michael Jordan famously went through in the NBA.
It’s certainly not fun feeling under the weather and driving a race car at speeds up to or greater than 180 miles per hour. Reddick had so much on his plate it wouldn’t have been a shock to see if pull off the track at some point hoping to possibly make a driver change. That never came to fruition, and the guy just toughed it out.
"I'm throwing up. S***ting myself."
Tyler Reddick is feeling sick inside the car. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/B8v25ZQDgP
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 1, 2024
Fighting for a championship is certainly the worst time to have to go through your flu game, but it must come with the territory driving for MJ.
Tyler Reddick Fights Through ‘Flu Game’ to Win Regular Season Championship
Reddick certainly had plenty of obstacles besides his major issue of feeling ill. Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott were the other two drivers he had to beat out for the crown. Elliott never had much of a chance in the race as he struggled all night. Larson however had a dominant car most of the night and was right at the front all night.
A lot was certainly on the mind of Reddick during Sunday’s race. Reddick spoke about all the challenges he had to deal with during the race. Reddick certainly thought he was going to start throwing up at the end of the first stage of the race.
” I thought I was going to (puke),” Reddick said via motorsport.com. ” I really did at the end of stage 1, as soon as the yellow came out.”
He later explained where he thinks he picked up some sort of stomach bug, citing his son Beau was under the weather last weekend at Daytona. He toughed it out and was eventually rewarded for it.
Reddick and Jordan appear to Be Cut from the Same Cloth
Much like Jordan pulled off the ‘Flu game’ during the 1997 NBA Finals. His driver Reddick made the most of his up-and-down night at Darlington all these years later. Jordan spoke with NASCAR’s Zack Albert about how proud he is of Reddick for toughing it out.
One proud owner.@TylerReddick | @23XIRacing pic.twitter.com/1T40jyKRHG
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 2, 2024
” I mean, I know what it feels like to be sick and trying to perform, and just to do what he did, I mean, I wasn’t going around 200 miles an hour in a car, but I’m proud of his effort and we needed it,” Jordan said. ” We won by one point. I mean, he gutted it out. So hopefully he feels better tomorrow, and we feel better next week.”
That one point was as close as it could have got. It certainly felt like for the longest time during the race Larson was going to cruise to the win.
Reddick Looks Like a Real Championship Contender
Fighting through his ‘flu game’ certainly has Reddick in a position to contend for the series championship. It’s going to be an interesting final 10 races. Since he proved he can fight through sickness, and compete at a high level, that further proves, why Reddick might have a legit shot at the Cup title. He can win at all forms of tracks, and that might be the key to getting the job done for Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing. Time will tell. He certainly showed how resilient he can be.
