4 Takeaways From Tyler Reddick's Second Straight Win to Open 2026

[ad_1] EchoPark Speedway (Hampton, Ga.) — Tyler Reddick spent the whole 2025 season questioning when he would win. He spent the offseason questioning why he didn’t win.

Now some may surprise: When will he lose?

OK, that’s in all probability going just a little bit too far in a sport the place there may be one winner and 35 or extra losers each week. However Reddick adopted his 2025 winless season with back-to-back victories, capturing the Daytona 500 final week and the Cup race Sunday at Atlanta to open 2026. He received Sunday with a automobile and not using a fender that got here off throughout an accident that appeared would finish his likelihood to win.

Tyler Reddick is an ideal 2-for-2 to open the 2026 Cup Collection season.

"That is loopy, ain't it?" Reddick mentioned in his tv interview after the race.

Listed below are my takeaways:

1. Michael Jordan, Reddick Now 2-for-2

Workforce proprietor Michael Jordan clearly likes to win. So little question to see the thrill from him in Victory Lane to have a good time with Reddick, who grew to become the primary driver since 2009 to open the season with back-to-back wins.

It appeared that the 23XI Racing driver who would win at Atlanta was Bubba Wallace, who was main going into extra time with the broken Reddick behind him. However Wallace moved to dam Carson Hocevar on the surface and Hocevar ducked to the within, leaving Wallace with no assist.

Tyler Reddick is embraced by 23XI proprietor Michael Jordan after Reddick's second straight win.

"I really feel dangerous for Bubba, clearly, as a result of he had an unbelievable day, however Tyler drove his ass off, and I am very blissful for Tyler," Jordan mentioned in his tv interview. "I am very blissful for 23XI."

Reddick’s view?

"Typically issues are simply meant to be," Reddick mentioned in his postrace information convention. "For some motive there ... nobody was capable of ever get again to us. I do not know the way, however I will take it."

2. Bubba Dissatisfied

Bubba Wallace was left questioning what he did improper to complete eighth.

"Unlucky, however man, what a race automobile we had at this time," he mentioned in his tv interview.

Teammates Tyler Reddick outlasted Bubba Wallace and different for the win Atlanta.

However generally a driver doesn’t make the improper transfer on the superspeedway, simply an unlucky one because the runs come so quick and drivers make wild blocks.

"Superspeedway racing is the king of hindsight is 20/20," crew co-owner Denny Hamlin mentioned in his postrace information convention. "For those who knew the place each automobile was going to go, you then would all the time make the suitable transfer, however you simply do not know if you pull up in entrance of a line what that line — how that line goes to react, are they going to push, are they going to shoot center or going to go excessive? You simply do not know."

3. Hocevar Aggresive

Hocevar apologized for contact with Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano through the race. However contact with Christopher Bell within the first extra time restart? He felt that he was going for the win. He noticed a gap, went for it and it closed.

Criticized at occasions for his aggressiveness however much more for his timing, no less than this final occasion got here with the race on the road.

"I felt like if [the Toyotas] received lazy and left the center open, I used to be going to be actually aggressive to attempt to fill it," Hocevar mentioned. "And I noticed it for a split-second proper after I had an enormous run, and there was in all probability simply sufficient proper after I was coming.

"I simply went for it. ... I do not even must see the replay. I am positive it was closed up. I do not imply to destroy their automobile."

Carson Hocevar defended his strikes close to the tip of the Atlanta race.

Bell tried to chunk his tongue with out seeing a replay when he talked to me and one other reporter afterward: "You by no means count on something [in these races], particularly from him. I have not seen the replay. Perhaps there was a gap there, and that is what he thought he was going to try to fill."

4. Larson Embarrassed

Kyle Larson didn’t mince phrases about himself after his wreck when he didn’t understand he was three-wide and ended up wrecked.

"Sometimes I get caught up in others’ errors on these tracks," Larson advised me and different reporters after his crash. "That was utterly my fault. So that is what's embarrassing and irritating."

Larson is amongst drivers who're in just a little little bit of a factors gap after simply two races exterior the highest 16 within the standings. However he shouldn’t sweat it an excessive amount of being simply three factors out. A number of drivers are 20-30 factors out, however with a victory incomes 20 extra factors than second, a win or two can enable a driver to leap a number of spots.

Kyle Larson's day got here to an early finish on Sunday.

4 ½. What’s Subsequent

The Cup Collection heads to Circuit of the Americas for its first highway course of the season.

It’s a spot the place Tyler Reddick has received in 2023, and he'll now go for 3 consecutive wins to open the season — a feat no Cup driver has completed.

"For me, with the place this season began and what I must do as a driver, it is all about simply doing every thing I can and exhibiting up each week being as ready as I can," he mentioned.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years masking motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.