Tyler Reddick, after winning five of the first nine races of the 2026 season, was the heavy favorite to claim the Regular Season Championship. But Denny Hamlin, through his consistency, has steadily closed the gap, emerging as a serious threat to the 23XI Racing driver. With Reddick’s lead over Hamlin shrinking to just 19 points following Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400, the No. 45 driver has now opened up about the growing pressure as the regular season enters its crucial stretch.

35 points are not ‘enough’ for Tyler Reddick

“If the 11 wasn’t the winner, you could consider this a good day, but 35 points just aren’t enough right now,” Reddick told Prime Video after the race.

Reddick last won a race in April in Kansas, and since then, he has endured a few below-par results, including a 14th-place finish at Talladega and a DNF in Michigan.

Pocono Raceway has never been one of Reddick’s strongest tracks. Entering last weekend, he had an average starting position of 15.8 across eight appearances at the venue. So, his second-place finish shows that he has been performing at a high level this year. But if he wants to hold on to the top spot in the standings, Reddick knows he will have to bring even more to the table.

There are still 10 races remaining before the Chase begins. Understandably, every single point that Reddick can hold on to is precious, and every point that he misses out on is a significant loss.

“I know we finished second, but yeah, scoring the points we did just didn’t get the job done,” he added.

Meanwhile, his team’s co-owner, Hamlin, also found traction as the season progressed. After an early-season victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he kicked off a winning streak later in the summer that culminated in the first three-peat of his career at Pocono Raceway, following back-to-back victories at Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway, moving closer to Reddick’s five-win tally.

It’s not necessarily time for Reddick to press the panic button. Because of how the Chase format works, he wouldn’t be out of championship contention even if he fails to win the Regular Season Championship. The top 16 drivers will have their points reset before the 10-race Chase begins, with higher-seeded drivers receiving a points advantage based on their regular-season finish, meaning Reddick would still enter the postseason in a strong position if he remains near the top of the standings.

The format rewards consistency, and considering the level of performance he has shown so far, Reddick would still be firmly in the title hunt if he can maintain it.

For Hamlin, however, it could represent one final opportunity to leave the sport with a championship. His No. 11 Toyota Camry has looked dominant in recent weeks, and with the Chase fast approaching, Hamlin will be hoping to maintain that momentum.

“I would certainly say it’s the best we’ve been,” he said post-race. “We come to the racetrack every week knowing we have a great shot to win. The team’s doing an amazing job giving me exactly what I need in the car every single week. That’s why we’re winning.”

Pocono has become Hamlin’s second home

Hamlin won his first-ever race in Pocono Speedway on 11 June 20 years ago. And boy, has he come far since then.

Sunday’s win was Hamlin’s 64th in the Cup Series, placing him 9th on the All-Time NASCAR Cup Series race winners list. And eight of those have come at Pocono, with Hamlin admitting on the weekend that it’s become like his second home.

“First win here, so special here. Pocono has mastered the fan experience from the crowd in the stands to the infield here,” he said, per Times Leader. “Just so happy for this whole Joe Gibbs Racing team. The pit crew is flawless right now. We got it all going.”

Now, Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing will shift their focus from the tri-oval at Pocono to the Coronado Naval Base in San Diego, which is set to host its first-ever NASCAR Cup Series race. The street-course layout could make the points battle between Reddick and Hamlin even more intriguing.

Historically, Reddick has held an advantage over Hamlin on street courses, boasting an average finish of 15.0 compared to Hamlin’s 16.5. While that is no guarantee of what will happen next Sunday, it does suggest that Reddick could have a slight edge when it comes to finishing ahead of Hamlin and extending his lead beyond 19 points.