Darlington: Tyler Reddick produced a gritty, hard-fought performance to claim victory at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, overcoming mechanical issues and extreme cockpit heat to notch his fourth win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Starting from pole for 23XI Racing, Reddick led 77 laps in the No. 45 Toyota and surged past Brad Keselowski in the closing stages to win by a comfortable 5.847 seconds. Ryan Blaney finished third, with Carson Hocevar and Austin Cindric completing the top five.
The victory was anything but straightforward. Reddick reported electrical problems on the opening lap, forcing his team to change the battery and conserve power by shutting down cooling systems inside the car. With cockpit temperatures soaring, he drove the final laps without fans or a functioning cool suit.
“I know never to give up,” Reddick said after the race. “We’ve been close here so many times, and it’s fitting that Darlington tested us like that. It was tough physically, but the car was fast.”
Keselowski appeared poised for victory after leading a race-high 142 laps, but an earlier final pit stop left him vulnerable. Reddick, benefiting from fresher tires, erased a seven-second deficit and completed the decisive pass with fewer than 30 laps remaining.
Co-owner Michael Jordan, present at the track, praised the driver’s composure under pressure. “He kept his head and drove an unbelievable race,” Jordan said. “Once he got back out front, I knew he’d carry it to the end.”
The win marks Reddick’s 12th career Cup Series triumph and continues his blistering start to the season, having already claimed four victories in the opening six races. The NASCAR field now heads to Martinsville Speedway for the first short-track contest of the year, with Reddick carrying strong momentum.
Source: ESPN, Motorsport
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