Tyler Reddick Wins Phoenix Thriller as Kyle Larson’s Championship Lead Nearly Disappears

Tyler Reddick ended a 23-race winless streak at Phoenix Raceway, while a late tire failure for Kyle Larson completely reshaped NASCAR's championship battle with three races remaining.

Tyler Reddick returned to Victory Lane Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, but the biggest story from the Freeway Insurance 500 may have been what happened to the championship leader. A late right-front tire failure sent Kyle Larson into the outside wall and turned what had appeared to be a relatively comfortable NASCAR Chase advantage into one of the closest championship battles of the season. Reddick capitalized on a late two-tire pit strategy to win his sixth race of 2026, beating Ryan Blaney by 0.801 seconds while seven drivers emerged with realistic championship hopes heading into the final three races.

Reddick entered Phoenix having endured a frustrating stretch following one of the strongest starts to a NASCAR season in recent memory. The 23XI Racing driver won five of the opening nine races, including the Daytona 500, before spending the next 23 events searching for another victory. That drought finally ended in the desert, where the No. 45 Toyota showed competitive speed throughout the afternoon before a late caution created the opportunity Reddick needed. His victory was the 14th of his Cup Series career and his first at Phoenix Raceway.

Ryan Blaney initially appeared capable of becoming the race's dominant driver after winning the pole and leading the opening 44 laps. However, the first caution changed the complexion of the race when Michael McDowell and Riley Herbst were involved in an incident in Turn 4. Several teams elected to take two tires during the ensuing pit stops, while Joey Logano's No. 22 team opted for four. The strategy paid off immediately, allowing Logano to drive past Denny Hamlin on Lap 51 and win the opening stage. It marked the beginning of a particularly strong afternoon for Team Penske, although pit-road execution would ultimately prevent its drivers from taking the victory.

Stage 2 featured a lengthy battle between Logano and Christopher Bell, with Bell using fresher tires and clean air to establish a substantial advantage. Logano eventually recovered ground through tire strategy and reclaimed control late in the stage, completing a sweep of the first two segments. Bell finished third in both stages and continued building valuable championship points, while Hamlin remained within striking distance despite losing ground during the pit cycles. Meanwhile, Larson was struggling with a Chevrolet that never seemed to find the speed it needed. The No. 5 started 22nd, failed to earn stage points and even fell a lap down before receiving the wave-around during a caution around the halfway point.

As the final stage unfolded, several drivers emerged as legitimate contenders. Bubba Wallace led 52 laps and appeared positioned to challenge for the victory, while Briscoe, Bell, Blaney and Reddick remained close enough to capitalize on changing tire strategies. The race also featured several mechanical issues, including tire problems for Austin Dillon and John Hunter Nemechek. Hamlin's championship opportunity took a significant hit when a flat right-rear tire forced an unscheduled pit stop and a speeding penalty compounded the damage. Instead of fighting for the victory, the No. 11 found itself trapped a lap down and eventually finished 28th.

The biggest moment came with just over 30 laps remaining. Larson, already experiencing one of his weakest performances of the entire Chase, suffered a right-front tire failure entering Turn 1 and drove hard into the outside wall. The damage ended his afternoon in 34th place, leaving him with only three championship points after entering Phoenix with a 49-point lead. For the drivers chasing him, the accident created an opportunity that had appeared almost impossible only one week earlier. With Larson out, the remaining contenders suddenly had a chance to erase enormous portions of their championship deficits.

That caution also produced the strategy decision that determined the winner. Briscoe stayed on the track with older tires, attempting to preserve track position and potentially complete his third consecutive victory. Reddick's team chose two fresh tires, while several competitors opted for four. On the restart at Lap 294, Reddick found an opening in traffic, moved aggressively through the field and passed Briscoe one lap later. Once the No. 45 reached clean air, Reddick maintained enough speed to hold off Blaney and complete the victory.

Blaney finished second after leading 51 laps, followed by Chase Elliott in third and Bell in fourth. Corey Heim produced one of the most impressive drives of the afternoon, charging from 36th to fifth in a part-time No. 67 Toyota. Logano finished sixth, followed by Daniel Suárez, Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Ty Gibbs. The race featured 21 lead changes among 10 drivers and six cautions covering 43 laps, demonstrating that there were opportunities to move through the field even if the overall racing product remained a point of debate.

The championship standings changed dramatically. Larson retained the lead, but Bell reduced his deficit from 51 points to just five. Briscoe now sits 24 points behind, followed by Hamlin at 31, Blaney at 40, Logano at 44 and Reddick at 56. Only three races remain, with Talladega, Martinsville and Homestead still ahead. Larson remains the championship favorite by virtue of his position, but the margin for error that previously allowed him to survive a difficult race has completely disappeared.

The Here For The Speed crew came away divided on the quality of the race itself. Some felt Phoenix delivered an unusually entertaining afternoon, with changing leaders, meaningful tire strategy and late championship drama. Others believed the race was more interesting because of its championship implications than because of the racing product on the track. Regardless of where the race falls on the HFTS flag-rating system, there was little disagreement about its importance.

One week ago, it looked like Kyle Larson might run away with the championship.

After Phoenix, nobody can make that argument anymore.