Dominance has taken many forms in the history of auto racing. NASCAR, of course, is no different. Jeff Gordon won 13 races in 1998; Richard Petty did the same in 1975. Gordon won 12 times in 1997. Petty won 27 times in 1967. Kyle Larson won 10 times in 2021. Jimmie Johnson won five championships in a row. Dominance can be seen in spots gained on restarts or in Martin Truex Jr. leading 392 of 400 laps at the Coke 600.

In 2026, many fans are losing their minds about a (Tied) record 5 wins of the 9 in the season by 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick. Reddick’s feat of five victories this early is a tie with Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, and Richard Petty. It is an incredibly impressive accomplishment for the 30-year-old driver.

The Problem?

Again, Reddick’s accomplishment is beyond impressive. Before this season’s Daytona 500, Reddick had 8 NASCAR Cup Series victories, a record of 3 wins in a season. In 2025, Reddick went winless for the entirety of the season. Despite a history of winning, fans all over social media feel there is only one explanation for Reddick’s sudden surge to the top. 23XI Racing’s 2025 Lawsuit against NASCAR.

What Some Fans Seem to Think

Those fans seem to feel that the sudden burst of speed from Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing was that (Get this) NASCAR has given them extra horsepower or is allowing aero changes on 23XI Racing’s behalf as part of the lawsuit settlement. That’s how Reddick went from winless to win leader, and Wallace maintains a top 10 points position.

Logic

An economist told Jenna Fryer and the Associated Press that NASCAR likely owed both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports (Who many of these conspiracy theorists forget were equally involved) a whopping $364.7 million dollars, though that is not a confirmed number. Not only that figure, but we have heard that NASCAR had changed the Charter agreement for each and every team, thus costing NASCAR another untold sum of money. Some speculate that the value will vastly exceed half a billion by the end of 2026.

With that said, why would NASCAR reward a team for costing them that kind of money? And if they did, why would they help only one of the two teams? Why would they push a single car out of the six total, rather than the five other full-time cars and one part-time car?

Sure, Bubba Wallace is 8th in the standings, but he hasn’t been in contention to win more than one or two races so far. You have to drop all the way down the standings to 22nd with Zane Smith, 308 points back of Reddick, to find the next driver whose team was involved in the lawsuit. His teammate at Front Row, Todd Gilliland, is just one place back. The last full-time 23XI car is Riley Herbst in 28th, and then Front Row’s last driver, Noah Gragson, is 31st.

The logical question here I would ask is, where is their lawsuit help?

Honesty

In all honesty, it’s not some super-secret lawsuit assistance package on a single car. Tyer Reddick had some major issues at home last season with his son, Rookie. He still finished 9th in the standings, so was he really all that far off? Next, look at Bubba. Wallace added a new crown jewel win at Indianapolis for the Indy 400. He finished 11th in the standings, very respectable. Now in 2026, the entire team, each crew member isn’t fearing their jobs may disappear, the drivers know they have a home with one of the Top teams in NASCAR, and the driver is not fearful for the health of his son.

Conclusion

It’s not a conspiracy theory. The aliens didn’t travel the universe and deliver a hyperdrive to the 45 car. A combination of the driver that many team owners had to get their hands on and one of the top teams in the sport getting their heads in the game has brought you the most dominant performance since Kyle Larson and Hendrick in 2021.

Image Credit: Nathan Marlow/ Seriously Fast Motorsports