NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently poured some cold water on the narrative that regular-season points leader Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing are currently dominating the Cup Series garage.
While the sheet of paper says the No. 45 team is comfortably out front in the regular-season championship standings, Dale Jr. argues that a deeper dive into recent races reveals that Joe Gibbs Racing still holds a distinct upper hand as we move ahead for the remaining races before the final 10 races of the season.
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On the latest edition of The Dale Jr. Download, Dale Jr. pointed towards the recent Charlotte and Nashville races, where JGR Toyotas were a “little bit” better than Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team. He said:
“Over a 10-race stretch at the end of the season, I got to give the advantage to JGR over 23XI. So while Reddick’s sitting out here with this giant lead, I’m not sure that they’re the best team in the garage. You look at this sheet of paper with the points and go, ‘Oh, this team’s dominating the series.’ But you look at laps led.” [25: 00 onwards]
While it’s no secret that Tyler Reddick has made headlines on five Cup Series weekends with a win, including the 2026 Daytona 500, the number of laps led is still less than that of drivers like Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, and even Kyle Larson from the Chevy shed.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. picks his top six contenders for NASCAR title
On the aforementioned podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. predicted that the eventual Cup Series champion would emerge strictly from an elite tier of six drivers. While the point standings remain fluid, Junior highlighted a few heavy hitters.
Dale Jr. picked JGR driver Denny Hamlin as his championship favorite, followed by two Hendrick Motorsports stars. He said:
“I’m going to predict as we’ve said that the champions coming out of the top six ,and I would say that um, you know, Christopher Bell may leapfrog into the top six. Anyhow, I like Denny Hamlin, and then I like it’s Kyle Larson or Chase Elliot for me. Blaney, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick” [29:46]
While Bell may currently be lingering just outside that absolute top tier, Dale Earnhardt Jr. expects that to change quickly. Moreover, he exuded high confidence that the ultimate title winner is already hiding in plain sight among the sport’s current front-runners.
Edited by Sashwat Deo