AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 01: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, reacts after winning his third race in a row to start the 2026 NASCAR season winning the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas on March 01, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

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Among the accolades piling up for Tyler Reddick this season: Daytona 500 winner, and now the first driver in NASCAR’s 78-year history to win the opening three races, there’s a new title to add to the list: Rockstar.

Not metaphorically. Literally.

Rockstar, in this case, refers to the energy drink brand that announced a partnership with Reddick on Thursday, a move that feels less like a polite sponsorship agreement and more like someone plugging a Marshall amp into NASCAR and turning the dial up to 11.

As part of the deal Reddick will be part of the brand’s marketing campaigns, show up in digital content for the brand on social media channels and on the track will be in a Rockstar-branded No. 45 Toyota at select races during the 2026 Cup Series season, the first one on April 26th at Talladega Superspeedway, wearing a Rockstar-branded fire suit and helmet. Rockstar branding will also be plastered on the No. 45 team’s equipment and hauler throughout the entire season.

According to Steve Mateus, Senior Director of Sports and Music at Rockstar Energy, the deal with Reddick is all about “authenticity” to a brand built around living loud, “He’s fearless, high-energy, and thrives in high-stakes moments,” he said. "His relentless drive mirrors a mindset of pushing limits, making him a natural extension of a brand that celebrates intensity, individuality, and unapologetic ambition.”

Founded in 2001 the brand ventured into motorsports sponsorship early on but only in those motorsports with a less corporate polished look such as motocross, off-road racing, the X Games and rallycross.

They have flirted with IndyCar and even NASCAR, making a few appearances in NASCAR’s lower series with drivers like Dylan Kwasniewski, who is no longer a thing, in the then Nationwide series in 2010’s.

But now they are back, seemingly ready to jump into the deep end of NASCAR’s pool. An Olympic sized one filled with energy drinks. The best known of those being Monster Energy, a one-time entitlement sponsor for the sport and who, up until the end of 2025, could be seen adorning Reddick and the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota that will soon have Rockstar yellow star on the hood.

They are also adding an entry to the history of energy drinks in NASCAR. From Red Bull, to Monster, to Celsius which are still around. And to the energy drink brands who have written big checks even if they didn’t see big success on the track and have since dried up like Speed energy owned by former driver Robby Gordon, and Rowdy Energy owned by current driver Kyle Busch.

With Monster no longer a central player, Rockstar enters a landscape that’s suddenly more open, and perhaps more intriguing. It joins a returning Red Bull, now embedded with Trackhouse Racing, Phorm Energy with its more modest footprint at Hendrick Motorsports, and Celsius, the official energy drink of Kaulig Racing. By the way Celsius acquired the Rockstar Energy brand in North America from PepsiCo in the fall of 2025, making them cousins in a way.

For 23XI Racing, the addition of Rockstar is another significant piece in a growing commercial portfolio that already includes the returning Hardee’s, a brand that, much like Rockstar, seems to understand that subtlety has never really been NASCAR’s strong suit.

“Our goal is always to surround our drivers with partners that reflect their discipline, grit, and commitment to excellence and Rockstar’s ambition and support for Tyler signaled exactly that,” said team president Steve Lauletta. “Aligning with an athlete and team performing at this level speaks volumes to where the brand is headed in this new chapter. Together, Rockstar and Tyler are poised to bring a lot of excitement to the track this season, and we look forward to seeing the partnership come to life.”

And that, perhaps, is the point.

NASCAR has never lacked for speed. What it occasionally lacks is volume.

Rockstar, quite clearly, intends to fix that.