Denny Hamlin addresses Tyler Reddick's free agency status amid NASCAR lawsuit

As the NASCAR lawsuit continues, Denny Hamlin is balancing a lot of things at once, from driving to team ownership. Among those responsibilities is making sure he doesn’t lose any of his drivers due to a lack of charters.

Tyler Reddick is seen as a potential Cup Series champion in the future. 23XI Racing believes he can take their organization to new heights. That is, if they can keep him around.

Without a charter, it is unlikely that 23XI Racing can continue to operate in 2026. That would result in Tyler Reddick finding a ride elsewhere in the Cup Series. A few teams would drop their current drivers to make room.

Denny Hamlin was asked about Reddick and his free agency status at Gateway earlier today.. Technically, Reddick is a free agent as his contract requires a charter from 23XI.

“Uh, well, we have him under contract, and I think he probably feels as confident as we are in December. So…” Hamlin said when asked.

This is more or less what Denny Hamlin has said in the past. Nothing has changed much on that front. It is also a reiteration that 23XI and Front Row are committed to taking this case to trial.

Earlier this week, 23XI and Front Row were denied their request for a preliminary injunction. That injunction would have given the teams charter status and prevented NASCAR from selling the teams’ old charters. NASCAR has made a statement to the court that they will voluntarily not change rules to prevent teams from making races and won’t sell he charters in question. So, the court denied the injunction.

For now, Denny Hamlin and others are waiting. We will see what the trial this December holds for the parties involved and the sport as a whole.

Denny Hamlin confident in December trial

Judge Kenneth Bell keeps warning the parties involved. Multiple times, he has warned that the outcome of a trial will likely not make either side happy. The sport could operate completely differently in 2026 as a result.

Even with those warnings, Denny Hamlin appears to remain confident. Time after time, Hamlin has remained unshaken by the happenings of the case. If he weren’t so confident, perhaps we would have seen a settlement already.

As the legal issues continue, the NASCAR Playoffs are unfolding. There is so much going on both on the track and off the track. Drivers are having to compartmentalize what’s happening in the courtroom and on pit road each week. You really don’t envy anyone involved in this matter.