For 18-year-old Tyler Reif, there is no better venue to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut than Phoenix Raceway.
Just over two years ago, Reif surprised the motorsports community on the desert tri-oval. Driving for Lowden-Jackson Motorsports in his ARCA Menards Series debut, he bested both the West Coast competitors and series regulars to secure an upset victory.
Now Reif is making final preparations for his maiden Truck Series appearance, utilizing the same number with Niece Motorsports he drove to Victory Lane in 2023, the No. 41. While Reif is not exactly expecting a repeat of his ARCA triumph, he is eager to showcase his talent in one of NASCAR’s national divisions.
“I’ve kind of worked my whole life for this opportunity,” Reif said. “It’s finally come about with the Niece Motorsports group, so I’m just really excited to get it going. I’ve been waiting all month.”
Racing has always been a part of Reif’s identity. He methodically refined his craft in Legends and Pro Late Models on the West Coast alongside his older brother Tanner, who is now a three-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series West.
After observing the success Tanner enjoyed during the 2022 West Series season, Reif was ready to follow in his brother’s footsteps the following year. He participated in the final two events on the 2022 schedule for Lowden-Jackson to prepare himself for a full-time effort, which began at the largest track he had competed on to that point — Phoenix.
The opening moments of that race went about as poor as possible. An early crash on Lap 11 resulted in Reif falling two laps off the pace, but Lowden-Jackson managed to repair the damage to Reif’s rear end and got him back on track, where he quickly made up the lost laps through two more early cautions.
As more yellow flags slowed the pace, Reif continued to pick off his competition one-by-one, working his way to second for the first overtime restart. Reif inherited the lead when William Sawalich was turned by Bradley Erickson at the initial jump, which put him in an ideal-but-precarious position to take home a checkered flag.
Disaster nearly struck Reif when a poor launch allowed Landen Lewis to pull ahead with a sizable lead, causing him to fall to third.
Instead of letting the mistake rattle him, Reif charged back toward the front, first passing Erickson before overtaking Lewis in the final corner to cap off his come-from-behind triumph.
Reif admitted the Phoenix victory laid the foundation for where he is now. He ended up claiming the West Series owner’s title for Central Coast Racing in 2024 with two victories, nine top fives and three poles before embarking on a busier 2025 schedule that saw him finish second in the ARCA Menards Series East standings with Sigma Performance Services.
Reif feels the most significant benefit to his development has been the advice provided by former driver Josh Wise. He now finds himself more collected behind the wheel through Wise’s tutelage, which he knows is going to be essential for his first appearance in a Niece truck.
“There’s a lot [that’s changed for me], especially on the mental side of it,” Reif said. “With [Josh] Wise’s program, I had never really worked on any of that stuff when it came to preparation, mindset and not getting upset. After getting wrecked at Phoenix, I was really upset and [initially] thought my night was over.
“Not letting stuff get in my head like that has really changed my [outlook] coming into races and coming out of races I feel like.”
With plenty of composure and confidence on his side, Reif is ready to start a new chapter in his career with Niece.
Reif already possessed a connection to Niece through one of their former drivers in current NASCAR Cup Series competitor Carson Hocevar, as he lived at his house for a week while competing in quarter-midgets. It was Hocevar who suggested to Reif that he reach out to Niece about any available opportunities with their Truck Series program.
Now fully embedded with Niece, Reif has been hard at work ensuring he is prepared for everything the Truck Series is going to offer this weekend. The most notable adjustment is live pit stops.
Once he learns the literal ins and outs of live stops, Reif believes he’ll experience a seamless transition to race conditions for Friday evening’s Truck Series race. Phoenix baring many similarities to other short tracks on the West Coast helped Reif in his ARCA Menards Series debut two years ago, which is why he’s optimistic about performing well this week.
“[Phoenix] is a mile [long], but it still races like a short track,” Reif said. “What I grew up doing on the West Coast with Irwindale [Speedway], [Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway] and Madera [Speedway], you can get up under people; you can get up on the wheel and muscle the car around. I feel like that really suits me the best.”
Expectations are simple for Reif in his first Truck Series outing: Keep his truck in one piece and finish anywhere near the top 15 or top 20. Despite this, Reif already knows how to exceed expectations at Phoenix and believes a top-five performance can be feasible if everything goes to plan.
Reif said a smooth outing at Phoenix could be a major influence on his plans for 2026. He is trying not to put too much pressure on himself before the green flag waves, but being a diligent student before, during and after the race is something Reif knows can only help him as he moves forward with his career.
“I’ve got to make sure [I’m] mentally prepared,” Reif said. “Taking in a lot of the dirty air aspects [between] the truck and the ARCA car is going to be my biggest thing going into next year. In the Truck Series, I feel like you have to minimize mistakes to run up front. You can’t underdrive it or overdrive it.
“You’ve got to maximize everything to put yourself in the best spot possible.”
Phoenix will always be a special track for Reif after what he accomplished there in the ARCA Menards Series back in 2023. He looks forward to creating another great Phoenix memory Friday in the first of what he hopes is many Truck Series starts.
