Tyler Reddick beats SVG at COTA, becomes first driver to win season’s first three races

AUSTIN, Texas — Tyler Reddick became the first driver to win the first three races of the NASCAR Cup Series season by dominating the DuraMax Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.

Reddick held off the road course-dominant Shane Van Gisbergen in the final stage to win the race. Reddick led a race-high 58 laps in Sunday’s race.

“To be able to outlast [SVG] is incredible,” Reddick said. “It’s so fitting and so important we were able to make history and win three in a row.”

Reddick was just the fifth driver to win the season’s first two races, joining the likes of Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon, and Matt Kenseth. But none of those legends were able to win the following event.

It’s a remarkable feat not done by Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, or Jimmie Johnson, but by Tyler Reddick for 23XI Racing on the back of a soul-searching offseason that featured a lawsuit with NASCAR and Reddick’s winless 2025.

Reddick started on the pole but Chase Briscoe led the race’s first eight laps. Ryan Blaney also spent time in the lead early on.

The top drivers flipped the first stage, allowing Ross Chastain to win it. Ty Gibbs won the second stage in similar fashion.

Reddick emerged to the front after each pit cycle. Van Gisbergen efficiently got around most of the field but was unable to pass Reddick anytime.

No major crashes happened in the first two stages. Charlotte-native rookie Connor Zilisch was spun out at the beginning of stage two and had to climb forward from the back of the field. Zilisch was spun out later in the race and settled for 14th.

Chastain brought out the race’s only caution for incident when he got trapped in the sand on lap 76.

Alex Bowman exited the race in the final stage due to illness and was replaced by Myatt Snyder, who finished the race 36th.