Tyler Reddick wheeled the No. 45 23XI–Toyota past Kyle Larson in a white‑knuckle overtime dash to claim victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway.
Starting from the pole in the 274‑lap, 411‑mile showdown on the 1.5‑mile oval just outside Kansas City, Reddick navigated fuel strategy woes, late-race cautions and fierce competition to notch his fifth win in the first nine races of the year and his second triumph in 14 career starts at the suburban track.
The margin of victory was razor‑thin, with Reddick crossing the line just 0.118 seconds ahead of Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.
“Just really blessed with the late caution,” said Reddick, who goes into NASCAR history books as the fourth driver ever to win five of the first nine races in a season, the last being Dale Earnhardt in 1987. “Was that nuts or what? I couldn’t believe it.
“I mean, first off, I feel like I have to say obviously just for how I feel. I never like being on the inside of it – really hate that for Christopher Bell. Good, hard racing. The 11 (Hamlin) came up. I mean, I took off tight. Not thrilled I got Christopher there. I hate that for him because he was having a good, solid day.
“Man, these late race restarts get crazy. I obviously had a run on the 5 (Larson). I was shocked I was able to get to his inside there. An incredible SupplyHouse Toyota Camry all day long.”
From the opening green, the race settled into a familiar rhythm around the tri‑oval with Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota dominating the early going and leading an eye‑popping 131 laps across the course of the day.
Yet, Tyler Reddick sat patiently in second, biding his time and using the long green‑flag runs to dial in the balance of his No. 45, knowing that the race’s closing laps would almost certainly come down to a late‑run break from the Joe Gibbs veteran.
As the competition broke into its two 80‑lap stages, Hamlin’s consistency throughout the first segment paid off handsomely with the three‑time Kansas winner taking the Stage 1 spoils ahead of Reddick.
The second stage, however, tilted in favor of Kyle Larson, who had been quietly advancing through the field after qualifying fourth.
Yet, as the race approached its natural conclusion, Reddick re‑emerged from the fuel‑and‑tire shuffle directly behind Hamlin, setting up a tense, late‑run battle for the lead that would ultimately be interrupted by the track’s sole late‑race yellow.
The late caution came after Cody Ware spun at Turn 4 just moments before the white flag, freezing the field and forcing the race into a two‑lap overtime shootout.
Under NASCAR’s contingency rules, the fields were reset and the restart order suddenly elevated the No. 5 Chevrolet of Kyle Larson to the primary position for the do‑or‑die dash.
The ensuing restart saw Larson execute near‑perfectly, jumping out front and briefly appearing set to wrestle the race away from the three‑time Kansas winner Hamlin and the ever‑hungry Reddick.
For a moment, it seemed as though Larson’s long‑run speed and stage‑winning consistency would finally yield a breakthrough result at Kansas, but the dynamics of the final lap quickly shifted in favor of the driver coming from behind.
Larson struggled through the final two corners as the tires and fuel load conspired against his balance, and Reddick capitalized on the gap, running a high‑side line through Turns 1 and 2 before diving low on the backstretch and re‑emerging into the clear on the final run to Turn 3.
Reddick’s timing was impeccable: he pulled alongside Larson in Turn 3, then cleared him cleanly through the final two turns, using the last ounce of his No. 45 23XI–Toyota’s momentum to carry the nose just ahead at the stripe.
Chase Briscoe, who had restarted 11th on fresh tires in the No. 19 Ford, delivered perhaps the most impressive recovery drive of the afternoon, charging all the way up to third by the checkered flag.
Denny Hamlin wound up in fourth after the caution and restart reshuffled the front row in front of him, while Bubba Wallace rounded out the top‑five with a steady performance in the No. 23 23XI Toyota.
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