Tyler Reddick Overcomes Multiple Challenges, Wins at Darlington

Tyler Reddick stayed hot in more ways than one on Sunday at Darlington Raceway.

On paper, Reddick won from the pole for his fourth victory in the first six NASCAR Cup Series races of the 2026 season. He led 77 laps, taking the lead from Brad Keselowski for the final time with 28 laps remaining and pulling away to the victory by nearly six seconds.

Race Results: NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington

It was not nearly that simple for the California native, however. From the opening laps, Reddick battled electrical issues that required him to shut off the fans in his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. He spent the afternoon battling those issues, a mid-race battery change, and potential brake issues inside a sweltering race car with a faulty cool suit.

On top of all that, Reddick had a run-in with Chris Buescher on lap 240 as the latter made his move to pit road for his final pit stop of the race, with Reddick unaware Buescher was doing so. The two drivers made contact, with Buescher hitting the outside wall but continuing onward.

In spite of the seemingly endless string of issues, Reddick persevered for a victory at one of NASCAR's most daunting circuits.

"I know never to give up," Reddick said. "I think it's very fitting that when we finally get our first win here at Darlington that the Lady in Black would test us like that.

"We've been so close so many times. I mean, lap one, we had the charging problem, where the battery wasn't charging at all. All day long, not running fans, sweating my tail off inside the race car, we knew it was going to be physical. Really wore out, but I guess I don't need as much of that cooling stuff as I normally have."

Despite the challenges Darlington presents even on the best of days, Reddick loves the challenge the venerable venue presents every time he races there.

"Ever since I made my first lap here in an O'Reilly Auto Parts [Series] car, there's just something about this racetrack. It's so special, it's so challenging.

"It's been really fun for my evolution as a driver over the years, my time in the O'Reilly Auto Parts car, my time at RCR, and what we've perfected in my time here at 23XI. I was really proud of everybody, and it's cool to get the boss man his fourth win on the year."

"The boss man," 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan, was again in attendance to watch Reddick's fourth win of the season and take part in the post-race celebration.

"I'm pretty sure it's frustrating for him, because he had an unbelievable car," said Jordan. "You never know what's going to happen, especially in Darlington. The key to him winning was just keeping his head. I think Billy [Scott, crew chief] did a good job of trying to keep him calm.

"He knew he had a fast car. We knew on a 30-lap run, we were really good. On a short-lap run, we were really good. We just had to get the car right. He kept his composure, and I think he did an unbelievable job."

Keselowski led a race-high 142 laps in his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford and won the first two stages, with a throwback scheme and stylized number font paying tribute to Greg Biffle. While the veteran driver felt he did not have the best car on the day, he believed they extracted the best result possible out of the day.

"We didn't have the best car today, not compared to Tyler," admitted Keselowski. "Tyler drove a hell of a race. He's driving a rocket, and he's making it count right now. I think we got the most out of the day we were going to get, honestly.

"We scored a lot of stage points and took away first-place loser, but that's okay. We're doing the things we need to do and making the most of the days we have. It's really cool to have the Greg Biffle cars running up front. I put a nice right-side stripe on the car. I think that would make Greg proud. If you know Greg, you understand that one."

It is the third time a driver has won four of a season's first six races in the NASCAR Cup Series. Dale Earnhardt accomplished that feat in 1987 and went on to win his third Cup Series championship. Bill Elliott also did so in 1992.

Ryan Blaney finished third, followed by Carson Hocevar and Austin Cindric. Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suárez, William Byron, Chris Buescher and Erik Jones rounded out the top 10.

With that win, Reddick unofficially leads the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings by 95 points over Blaney. Bubba Wallace sits third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott.

Next Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the Cook Out 400. Coverage of the event begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

-Photo credit: Matt Marrie/Racing America