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Tyler Reddick pulls off feat last done in 2009 with Autotrader 400 win
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- Tyler Reddick pulls off feat last done in 2009 with Autotrader 400 win
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Tyler Reddick pulls off feat last done in 2009 with Autotrader 400 win appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
NASCAR Cup Series points leader Tyler Reddick continued his red-hot start to 2026 by winning the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway on Sunday.
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Driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, Reddick followed his Daytona 500 triumph with a dramatic double-overtime victory on the 1.54-mile high-banked oval. The 30-year-old became the sixth driver to win the first two races of the season (first since Matt Kenseth in 2009). He started from the pole after qualifying was rained out and led a race-high 53 laps in a 271-lap event that featured a record-setting 57 lead changes among 14 drivers. Twelve cars finished within one second of the winner.
Reddick's path to victory was complicated by a Lap 225 crash that tore off the right-front fender of his car. The accident was part of one of 10 cautions totaling 67 laps, with 13 drivers eliminated. Crew chief Billy Scott indicated post-race that 39-degree temperatures made repairs difficult, forcing the team to rely on heavy tape to stabilize the damaged front end.Undeterred by the setback, Reddick powered through from two laps down on the last restart.
On the second overtime attempt, Reddick got the perfect push from fellow Toyota driver Chase Briscoe, stealing the win by just 0.164 seconds. As Bubba Wallace and Carson Hocevar battled and made contact on the final lap, Reddick capitalized, clearing the field to secure his 10th career Cup Series win in his 220th start. Interestingly, all 10 victories have come at different tracks.
Ross Chastain finished third, followed by Hocevar and Daniel Suarez. Shane van Gisbergen recorded a career-best oval finish of sixth despite being involved in two incidents. Wallace, who led 46 laps and won Stage 2, exited the race second in the standings, 40 points behind Reddick.
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For the first time, 23XI Racing won successive Cup races and claimed the top two spots in the standings. Co-owner Michael Jordan celebrated his team's impressive start to the season.
The series heads next to the DuraMax Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, March 1, with coverage on FOX at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Related: NASCAR's Bubba Wallace gets Michael Jordan support after blown opportunity at AutoTrader 400
