Tyler Reddick’s second NASCAR Cup Series win comes at the Brickyard in the Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
NASCAR teamed with the IndyCar Series for a big weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Both series utilized the road course layout at the versatile race facility. This is NASCAR’s second year racing on the road course rather the historic 2.5-mile rectangle. It is a tricky road course embedded with long straights leading into harsh corners. Typical of Indianapolis, the road course is fast and on Sunday, all the hazards were on full display.
From the First Lap, the First Turn is Chaotic
Tyler Reddick led the field into the first turn and it did not take long for drivers to have issues. Justin Haley spun around as the field was five-wide trying to funnel down into the turn. With no caution on the spin, Reddick continued to lead the field.
Reddick led the opening thirteen laps of the first segment and opted to pit under the green flag right before the stage ended.
Chase Briscoe moved into the lead with two laps remaining and was able to lead both laps to win the first stage.
Pit Strategy Puts Ryan Blaney in the Lead for the Restart
Ryan Blaney moved into the lead after not pitting during the stage break. He jumped out front as the field was again forced through the first turn. Kevin Harvick was the unfortunate one to spin around going into the melee.
Ryan Blaney paved the way for thirteen laps before giving up to come down pit road right before the end of the segment.
Christopher Bell decided not to come down pit road, staying out to take the lead with two laps remaining. With no one else contending for the lead, Bell was able to cruise ahead to win the second stage.
Reddick Challenges Bell at the Start of the Third Stage
Christopher Bell stayed out during the stage break to retain his lead. He barreled down into the first turn and the rest of the field followed in pursuit. Tyler Reddick gained ground on Bell throughout nine laps and was able to make the pass for the lead with 36 laps remaining. Reddick immediately pitted from the lead and was able to cycle back into the top spot after the pitting cycle.
Meanwhile, Kyle Larson lost his brakes coming down the front stretch and was not able to slow his car down coming into the first turn. He dive-bombed Ty Dillon in the process and the first caution flag of the segment came out.
Tyler Reddick continued to lead and jumped back out front on the following restart. Reddick led another twelve laps before the caution flag waved again for Christopher Bell leaving debris on the track.
On the ensuing restart, Chase Elliott spins and collects William Byron in the process. Austin Dillon got stuck in the gravel trap and the caution came out once more because he was unable to free himself.
Tyler Reddick’s Second NASCAR Cup Series Win Comes at The Brickyard
The race entered overtime with two laps remaining. Tyler Reddick got the jump he needed and never looked back. As chaos developed behind him, he flawlessly led the final two laps to win the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.
The Verizon 200 at the Brickyard Results
The NASCAR Cup Series Point Standings
The Verizon 200 could not have played out better for Tyler Reddick in the closing laps of Sunday’s race. After gaining the lead, his team decided to pit right away under the green flag which forced Ryan Blaney to pit on the following lap.
Blaney and Reddick were in a tight contest for the lead, so it was going to come down to which team had the better pitstop. Blaney’s car stalled out while trying to leave the box and allowed Reddick to easily cycle back into the lead.
It was not over for Reddick as he had to hold off the field on a handful of restarts to close the race. He smartly chose the inside lane on all the restarts which had the advantage heading into the first turn. Tyler Reddick drove a great race and because of it, he was able to come home with some new hardware.