KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Tyler Reddick scraped the outside wall in the closing laps. His fuel system stumbled at a critical moment. He collided with fellow Toyota driver Christopher Bell in overtime. He fell behind defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson on the final restart.
Yet, in a magical season for the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, Reddick won Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway in spite of all the adversity.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Kansas
The catalyst was Cody Ware’s spin on Lap 266, the penultimate circuit of the scheduled regulation distance. That incident caused the third caution of the race one lap after Denny Hamlin had retaken the lead from Reddick, who switched to pump 2 in his Camry after the car sputtered with two laps left.
Ware’s spin sent the race to overtime, and all 16 cars on the lead lap came to pit road for tires, with Hamlin, Reddick, Larson, Bell, Bubba Wallace and five cars behind them taking right-side tires only.
Moments after the overtime restart on Lap 273, Larson steered to the inside of Hamlin on the bottom row and charged into the lead. Reddick fell back after his contact with Bell’s Toyota forced Bell into the outside wall.
SHOP: Race winner gear
But the outside lane opened up for Reddick, whose handling was superior to Larson’s in overtime. Reddick mustered a huge run in the top lane, then drove to the inside of Larson’s Chevrolet, which tightened up on corner entry.
Reddick cleared Larson through the final two corners and crossed the finish line 0.118 seconds ahead of the reigning champion.
“Just really blessed with the late caution,” said Reddick, who won for the fifth time this season, the second time at Kansas and the 13th time in his career. “Was that nuts or what? I couldn’t believe it.
“I mean, first off, I feel like I have to say, obviously, just for how I feel. I never like being on the inside of it – really hate that for Christopher Bell. Good, hard racing. The 11 (Hamlin) came up. I mean, I took off tight. Not thrilled I got Christopher there. I hate that for him because he was having a good, solid day.
“Man, these late race restarts get crazy. I obviously had a run on the 5 (Larson). I was shocked I was able to get to his inside there. An incredible SupplyHouse Toyota Camry all day long.”
Reddick is the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 – and fourth all-time – to win five of the first nine races of a season in NASCAR’s top division. His series lead increased to 105 points over second-place Hamlin, who won the first stage.
NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who co-owns 23XI Racing with Hamlin, was elated with the victory.
“This kid is on fire,” said Jordan, who has witnessed all five of Reddick’s victories this season in person. “I don’t know how I can ever cool him down. He is unbelievable. Unbelievable last couple laps. I’m proud of the whole team.”
MORE: Hear from MJ | See photos from Reddick’s celebration
Larson, who led 78 laps and won the second stage, executed the overtime restart to perfection but couldn’t hold the lead.
“I got to the lead, and I thought I could cruise right there to the checkered flag, but my balance on two tires was just super, super tight,” said Larson, whose winless streak grew to 33 races. “I didn’t get through (Turns) 3 and 4 fast enough, and then the No. 45 (Reddick) had such a big run on me from behind.
“I thought I could go to the top to get some load into my front tires, but it still didn’t turn there. That was a bummer, but just overall happy with the day we had.”
Chase Briscoe finished third on four new tires, with Hamlin and Wallace running fourth and fifth, respectively. Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher completed the top 10.
Bell, who led 47 laps, spun coming to the white flag in overtime and finished 20th.
Hamlin led a race-high 131 laps and was positioned for the victory until Ware’s spin.
“I mean, obviously it’s not winning,” Hamlin said of the way the race played out. “It’s Cody Ware, six laps down, wrecking. I don’t know. It just added up.
“I fell for the same move that the 5 (Larson) got me a couple years ago when I was on the inside. I got to learn from those mistakes that I make, not executing those last few laps.”
The NASCAR Cup Series races next in the Jack Link’s 500 next Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Reddick won the spring race at Talladega in 2024.
Stage 2 recap
Kyle Larson won Stage 2 of the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway (FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), leading 77 laps in pursuit of ending his 32-race winning streak.
Denny Hamlin finished second, Tyler Reddick third, Chase Elliott fourth and Christopher Bell fifth. Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher and Carson Hocevar rounded out the top 10.
RELATED: Stage 2 results
Larson hopped out to his first lead of the afternoon, clearing Hamlin on the Stage 2 restart. Hamlin, who won the opening frame, faded to fourth, settling in behind polesitter Tyler Reddick.
During the stage, Larson passed Kevin Harvick (949) for the most all-time laps led at Kansas.
The green-flag pit cycle began on Lap 120, with Gibbs’ No 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota the first machine coming for service. Unlike the opening stage, the cycle completed without issues, but shortly afterward, Reddick brushed the wall in Turn 1 and reported his steering column was slightly off-center.
Ryan Blaney finished 21st in the stage, but according to Racing Insights, the No. 12 pit crew turned its quickest stops of the season over the first 165 laps in the Heartland.
Stage 2 was completed without a caution.
Stage 1 recap
Denny Hamlin led 75 of 80 laps for a dominant Stage 1 victory in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.
Kyle Larson finished second, followed by Tyler Reddick in third, Ty Gibbs in fourth and Christopher Bell in fifth. Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace and Corey Heim rounded out the top 10.
MORE: Stage 1 results
Hamlin and Reddick battled side-by-side for three laps at the start, making contact on Lap 2 before the No. 11 driver cleared into the lead at Lap 4.
Cars started peeling toward pit road on Lap 33, with Ryan Preece the first driver exiting the track for service, surrendering a top-10 starting position. Hamlin came in from the lead on Lap 38, one lap after Reddick pitted from second.
During the pit cycle, Ryan Blaney, with a new jackman on the No. 12 Ford, had a clean stop but made contact with AJ Allmendinger as the No. 16 Chevrolet entered his box. Blaney left unscathed, but Allmendinger fell two laps down. Additionally, Carson Hocevar, who was running inside the top 10, had a 15-second pit stop after a pit gun broke during his service window.
The opening stage was completed without a caution.
Note: Post-race inspection was completed in the Cup Series garage without issues, confirming Reddick as the race winner.
Contributing: Staff reports