Tyler Reddick Wins at Texas with Heart-Stopping Finish: NASCAR 2026

Tyler Reddick (#23 23XI Racing) won the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Texas Motor Speedway after an epic battle with Kyle Larson in the final 5 laps. Reddick took advantage of a late caution and fresh tires to pass Larson with 3 laps to go.

Tyler Reddick Wins at Texas with Heart-Stopping Finish: NASCAR 2026

🏁 Heart-Stopping Finish in Texas

Texas Motor Speedway witnessed one of the most thrilling races of the 2026 NASCAR season. Tyler Reddick (#23 23XI Racing) took the win at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix after an epic battle with Kyle Larson (#5 Hendrick Motorsports) in the closing laps.

The 334-lap race on the 1.5-mile oval had it ALL: strategy, drama, crashes, caution flags and a finish that had all 135,000 fans on their feet in the grandstands.

📊 Top 10 — EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Texas)

  1. Tyler Reddick (#23 23XI Racing-Toyota)
  2. Kyle Larson (#5 Hendrick Motorsports-Chevrolet) — 0.487s
  3. Ross Chastain (#1 Trackhouse Racing-Chevrolet) — 1.203s
  4. William Byron (#24 Hendrick Motorsports-Chevrolet) — 2.941s
  5. Christopher Bell (#20 Joe Gibbs Racing-Toyota) — 4.822s
  6. Ryan Blaney (#12 Team Penske-Ford) — 6.104s
  7. Chase Elliott (#9 Hendrick Motorsports-Chevrolet) — 7.329s
  8. Denny Hamlin (#11 Joe Gibbs Racing-Toyota) — 9.881s
  9. Brad Keselowski (#6 RFK Racing-Ford) — 11.542s
  10. Martin Truex Jr. (#19 Joe Gibbs Racing-Toyota) — 13.776s

🔥 The Final Battle: Reddick vs. Larson

With 50 laps to go, Kyle Larson was dominating the race on tires with 30 laps of wear. Larson had led 187 of the 284 laps completed to that point and looked headed for his third win of the year.

But on lap 285, Noah Gragson's car (#42) hit the wall in Turn 2, bringing out the caution flag. This was the decisive moment.

Most of the leaders came into the pits. Tyler Reddick, running in 4th place, took 4 fresh tires and came out in 6th position. Kyle Larson, banking on his lead, took only 2 tires (right side) to come out first after the stop.

The restart came on lap 290 — only 44 laps remained.

Laps 290-330: The Comeback

Reddick began to devour positions:

  • Lap 295: Passes Ross Chastain, now 5th
  • Lap 305: Gets by William Byron, 4th place
  • Lap 315: Leaves Christopher Bell behind, 3rd place
  • Lap 325: Catches Kyle Larson — 9 laps to go

Laps 331-334: The Climax

On lap 331, Reddick executed a perfect move in Turns 1-2, taking advantage of the extra grip from his fresh tires. Larson tried to reclaim the position in Turns 3-4, but Reddick shut the door.

The final 3 laps were a pure sprint. Larson pushed on every lap, getting within less than two tenths of Reddick on the final straightaway, but it wasn't enough.

Tyler Reddick crossed the finish line with a 0.487-second margin — one of the closest wins of the year.

"We knew that with fresh rubber we had a shot, but Kyle is a fierce competitor. I had to give everything on those last laps. This win is for the whole 23XI team — we've worked hard to be here."
— Tyler Reddick, post-race

💥 Crashes and Drama

The race had several major incidents:

Lap 112 — The "Big One"

An incident in the middle of the pack triggered a multi-car crash involving 8 cars:

  • Austin Cindric (#2) — out of the race
  • Bubba Wallace (#23) — severe damage, finished 28th
  • Daniel Suárez (#99) — extensive repairs in the garage
  • Chase Briscoe (#14) — impact with the rear wall

Lap 218 — Tire Blowout

Joey Logano (#22 Team Penske) suffered a right-rear tire blowout at over 185 mph on the main straightaway. Logano masterfully controlled the car, avoiding a bigger crash, but finished 22nd after repairs.

🏆 Championship Standings (After Texas)

Top 10 Drivers (Regular Season):

  1. Kyle Larson (Hendrick) — 312 points, 3 wins
  2. Tyler Reddick (23XI) — 298 points, 2 wins
  3. William Byron (Hendrick) — 287 points, 2 wins
  4. Christopher Bell (JGR) — 276 points, 1 win
  5. Ross Chastain (Trackhouse) — 268 points, 1 win
  6. Chase Elliott (Hendrick) — 261 points
  7. Ryan Blaney (Penske) — 254 points, 1 win
  8. Denny Hamlin (JGR) — 249 points
  9. Brad Keselowski (RFK) — 238 points
  10. Martin Truex Jr. (JGR) — 231 points

📅 Next Race

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway next Sunday, April 7, for the GEICO 500, one of the most unpredictable races on the calendar.

Talladega, with its nearly 2.7-mile oval and pack racing at over 200 mph, always delivers drama and surprises. Can Reddick keep the momentum going? Will Larson get his revenge? Or will we see a surprise winner?

Don't miss it!

🎥 Highlights

  • Best pass: Reddick passes Larson (lap 331)
  • Most laps led: Kyle Larson — 187 laps
  • Caution flags: 7
  • Lead changes: 22
  • Margin of victory: 0.487 seconds