NASCAR.com's Alex Weaver goes 1-on-1 with Tyler Reddick to discuss how his son Beau has changed his perspective on life and how he approaches his job as a NASCAR Cup Series driver.
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00:00You learn how to race. It's taken me 20-something years to get to where I'm at, but being a dad is a constant learning process.
00:08I mean, my kid's watching everything I do.
00:11Alright Tyler, so we're here. It's quite the setup when it comes to these racetracks now because this is a neighborhood on wheels.
00:18You guys spend more time here and your family spend more time here, I think, than you do at home.
00:22So, can you describe what it's like to be on the road with your family?
00:27I think I was already somewhat accustomed to that style of life. My upbringing, with all the racing I was doing all over the country,
00:34you know, me and my whole family were in a motor home for months and months on end.
00:40You know, sometimes we'd go three or four months on the road before going home.
00:43Describe what it's like having your family, Beau and Alexa, at your place of work every single weekend.
00:50Can you hold this, Mr. Wonka?
00:52You're Aussie! With purple gloves!
00:55Alright, go outside, Beau.
00:57Sharon!
00:59Sharon!
01:00We need to cut it.
01:01I mean, it's something I definitely try not to take for granted.
01:04Just don't poke me.
01:06I might.
01:07A lot of those in this industry don't have the opportunity to bring their family with them.
01:12With the driver's situation, it's a little bit different.
01:15You know, we have it pretty good being able to bring our family with us.
01:19Beau was born January 18th, and February 6th or 7th, we were traveling down to Daytona, and he was on the bus.
01:27I believe, actually, he spent more days on the bus in this world to get his life started than he did in his own house.
01:33So, he's just kind of always been used to the traveling and what that's like.
01:37We've seen you have Beau in Victory Lane, on Pitt Road, he's done interviews, Beau has been all over the place.
01:44They're crashing further back, checkered flag is in the air, Tyler Reddick gets there first!
01:49And his heiress, Michael Jordan, is here, and he is celebrating.
01:53This is going to be a heck of a celebration down there.
01:56And Tyler Reddick celebrating the win today.
01:59What's been the best part about having Beau and Alexei here with you?
02:02There's certainly a huge void when they're not here.
02:06I guess, you know, when you do this every single week and it's your job, you forget how cool it is to get in.
02:12Go get on a stage and answer some questions, or go to a trailer and sign autographs, you know.
02:17It's easy to take it for granted how unique and special that is, so it's fun whenever you get to take your kid along with you.
02:23And he gets to experience that as well.
02:26Let's see it with the hat.
02:31Oh my gosh.
02:33You know, being a dad is a constant learning process, and I certainly feel like I'm still guilty of it,
02:39as you probably have already caught on, right, where I somewhat treat my kid like he's an adult.
02:44But he's four years old, right, he's figuring things out.
02:49How much did the two of them push you to be better at your job?
02:53I think back to my second year racing full-time in Xfinity with RCR.
03:00I was extremely motivated to win that championship, but, like, it was just one of those feelings.
03:06I knew something, some sort of motivation or drive, like there was a little piece missing.
03:11And whenever Alexa made that bet with me about, you know, if you win the championship, you can name your kid whatever you'd like,
03:18and if you lose, you have to live with whatever name I pick.
03:25Let's go!
03:28Congratulations.
03:30Just that, right from the very, even before the beginning, before he was here, that motivated me immensely.
03:35It was easy to find motivation to be a better parent, a better role model.
03:39I mean, my kid's watching everything I do.
03:41I think back to the Bristol moment between me and Briscoe in 2022.
03:46Battling into turn three, Briscoe dives to the bottom of the racetrack, side by side.
03:50They get loose, they spin.
03:52Now Tyler Redick does a 360, so does Briscoe.
03:55It's going to go to the third place car as they come back to the start finish line.
03:59You know, I get out of the car, I'm upset.
04:01I'm probably thinking about doing things I shouldn't.
04:04Then I see my kid in the arms of my wife, upset, and, you know, I immediately go back to,
04:09okay, I need to be a role model for my son and, I guess, other young kids out there, too, right?
04:15I don't want to teach my kid that you're going to right a wrong by throwing fists at somebody.
04:21And certainly, I feel like there's arguably time for that, but as a parent,
04:25you've just got to think things through before you do them.
04:27He's always watching what you're doing, even if you don't think he's watching.
04:29So it's just something that I feel like has really helped me.
04:32What is Bo saying about winning a championship in 2024?
04:36You pick this one, Blaney, Redick, or Hamlin.
04:40Redick is not done with yet.
04:42Tyler Redick just drives all the way around Ryan Blaney.
04:46Can you believe what you've just seen?
04:49Redick's going to Phoenix.
04:51Tyler Redick wins the Straight Talk 400 in the most incredible way.
04:58Tyler Redick ended on his roof last week in Vegas.
05:02This week, he delivers 23-11, a championship burn.
05:07We win a race, we have a great day, we get a good finish.
05:10Seeing how excited my kid is, you know, he really moves the highs
05:13and really helps neutralize the low moments.
05:15And in racing, there's a lot of low moments.
05:17You're going to lose more races than you'll ever win.
05:19That's just part of it.
05:20And I knew that coming in, but I still really choose to be really sour
05:24about the losses.
05:26Being a dad has really helped manage all that.
05:28She got a golden ticket.
05:30I got a golden ticket from Blaney Hoffman.
05:32What?
05:33Yeah, look.