Tyler Reddick with Michael Jordan – 23XI Racing Photo
Tyler Reddick prevails in overtime at Kansas for fifth Cup Series win of 2026
NASCAR Wire Reports – Tyler Reddick won Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, prevailing in overtime after a Cody Ware caution brought out a yellow with two laps to go. The No. 45 driver becomes the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win five of the first nine races to start a season.
The race had stayed without an incident until Ware’s spin set up the two-lap dash. Denny Hamlin was leading at the time of the yellow, taking control after Reddick sputtered on fuel with three circuits remaining.
All contenders took two tires under yellow with Hamlin coming off pit road first. On the restart, Hamlin jumped ahead, while Reddick, Hamlin and Bell battled three-wide behind him. Reddick made contact with Bell entering Turn 2, sending him into the wall before eventually spinning just before the white flag.
Larson seemed destined for his first win in 32 races — this event last year — but Reddick passed him on the bottom in the final corner for another historic victory.
Larson held onto second with Chase Briscoe third, Hamlin fourth and Bubba Wallace fifth. Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher completed the top 10.
Hamlin started the final green flag pit cycle at Lap 216 — a decision that paid off for the No. 11 Toyota at the time. Christopher Bell, leader at the time, pitted six laps later, and Hamlin cycled out in front by over four seconds — albeit on a slight tire disadvantage. Reddick, who pit a lap before Bell, cycled to second, followed by the No. 20 Toyota.
As the laps began ticking down, Reddick cut his margin behind Hamlin down to just over a second with 15 circuits remaining.
With 10 laps to go, Reddick’s tire advantage paid dividends. He passed Hamlin entering Turn 1, but in lapped traffic, Reddick never got away. With three laps to go, Reddick slipped up and brushed the wall, handing the lead back to Hamlin. But a Ware spin — the first incident of the day — set up NASCAR Overtime as Hamlin came to take the white flag.
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.
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.
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.