Tyler Reddick makes NASCAR history at COTA with 3rd straight win to start the season
23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick, front right, celebrates with his son Beau Reddick, front left, after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
By JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tyler Reddick became the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win the first three races of the season with a victory Sunday at the Circuit of Americas.
Driving a Toyota co-owned by Michael Jordan, Reddick won the season-opening Daytona 500 and a week later at Atlanta, then won from the pole in the first road course race of the year.
Reddick held off hard-charging Shane van Gisbergen, the Trackhouse driver and the series’ dominate road driver, over the final 20 laps. Jordan, the basketball Hall of Famer, was with Reddick’s 23XI pit crew exchanging high fives as Reddick crossed the finish line.
Van Gisbergen, who won five of six road course races in 2025, lost his bid for a record-tying sixth consecutive road win. The only road course race he didn’t win last season was in Austin.
Reddick was just too good all weekend in pursuit of history. His 11th career victory was also his second at COTA, a track built for Formula 1, and the first time he’s had multiple victories a track. He won at COTA in 2023.
It wasn’t easy. Reddick had van Gisbergen on his bumper for several laps in the final stage, but was able to keep him behind. Van Gisbergen began to fall farther and father behind over the final six laps.
Rough day for rookie Zilisch
Trackhouse Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch came into the weekend with the expectation that he might be the one to end van Gisbergen’s dominance on road courses.
But Zilisch’s weekend began with a surprisingly poor qualifying position of 25th and got worse Sunday when he got spun on the restart for stage two. Zilisch fought back into contention for the win in the final stage, but his race effectively ended when he was spun again in a restart out of a caution with 16 laps to go. He finished 14th.
Bowman had to bail out
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman had to get out of his car with about 20 laps to go after complaining about being sick.
He was replaced by Myatt Snider who had been working as a pit spotter for the Fox broadcast. Snider had to scramble to put on his race suit and get in the car.
Keselowski finishes race while still recovering from broken leg
Brad Keselowski had a reserve driver Joey Hand on hand to take over in case his recently broken leg hurt too much. He didn’t need him and was able to finish the race in 20th place.
The RFK Racing driver has been able to race in all three events this season despite breaking his right leg in December. The road course in Austin was a particular concern but of the physical strain through the left and right turns.
Up next
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to oval racing Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8. Christopher Bell outdueled Denny Hamlin in Arizona last year to become the first driver to win three races in a row in the NextGen car.
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