Arizona motorsport fans witnessed a dramatic turn of events Sunday at Phoenix Raceway when Tyler Reddick claimed his sixth win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Reddick, driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, passed Chase Briscoe with 17 laps to go and held on for the victory, reshaping the playoff standings with three races remaining.
Reddick’s comeback and the shifting leaderboard
Reddick, who entered the race as an afterthought after a summer lull, said, “This group never lost motivation, never lost the drive to keep searching and keep trying to find ways to make ourselves better, just be an all‑around better team. Something about today… I had a really good feeling.” His win lifts him to 56 points behind the championship leader, keeping his title hopes alive.
Kyle Larson, who started the weekend with a 49‑point advantage, suffered a flat right‑front tire late in the race, hitting the wall and finishing 34th. The former leader now holds a slim five‑point lead over Christopher Bell, who finished fourth, and a 24‑point gap to Briscoe, now third in the standings.
Other notable performances
Ryan Blaney secured second place, while Chase Elliott rounded out the podium in third. Bell praised his team, noting, “We’re right there in it. Really proud of our team. They’ve been doing a really good job of bringing fast race cars, executing races.”
Logano captured both stage wins, earning the maximum 20 points, and finished sixth overall. Bubba Wallace led 52 laps before a pit‑road speeding penalty ended his chance at victory.
Implications for the championship
With the Phoenix race concluded, the championship battle heads to Talladega Superspeedway next weekend for the eighth playoff event. The tight points spread means every remaining race will be critical for the contenders.
Fans can look forward to a high‑stakes showdown as drivers like Reddick, Bell, Briscoe, Hamlin, Blaney, and Logano vie for the coveted Cup Series crown.
Looking ahead
The next race at Talladega promises another opportunity for drivers to gain ground. As the playoff clock ticks down, teams are focusing on strategy, car performance, and staying out of the pitfalls that plagued Larson’s Phoenix effort.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
