The year’s 1987. Dale Earnhardt is at the peak of his powers, bulldozing through the field and winning six of the first nine races of the season. This is the start of a run that would become the stuff of NASCAR legend as Earnhardt eventually won that year’s championship. Nearly four decades later, that kind of dominance still feels untouchable. But at Kansas Speedway, Tyler Reddick has brought that history roaring back to life, matching a milestone many thought would remain frozen in time.
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Lady Luck follows Tyler Reddick to Kansas
“Just really blessed with the late caution. How about that? Was that nuts or what? I couldn’t believe it.”
That was Tyler Reddick summing up a race that flipped on its head in the final moments at Kansas Speedway by beating Christopher Bell by just 0.118 seconds. This win makes Reddick the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win five of the first nine races to start a season. It was a benchmark long considered untouchable in the modern era (until now).
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For most of Sunday, the race had the feel of a strategic chess match rather than a chaotic sprint. Long green-flag runs allowed pit cycles to dictate the running order, and it was Denny Hamlin who played that game to perfection. Pitting early on Lap 216, Hamlin executed a textbook undercut, cycling out with a lead of more than four seconds once the rest of the field completed their stops.
Tyler Reddick, however, was never far behind. Having pitted just ahead of Christopher Bell, he emerged in second and began methodically reeling Hamlin in. With around 15 laps to go, the gap shrank rapidly, and by the 10-lap mark, Reddick’s fresher tires gave him the edge he needed. He powered past Hamlin into Turn 1, seemingly taking control of the race.
Daytona. Atlanta. COTA. Darlington. Kansas.@TylerReddick gets it done for the fifth time this season. Incredible.@JamieLittleTV | @watchfoxone pic.twitter.com/E4bHoQrcTN
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 19, 2026
But Kansas had one more twist. Navigating lapped traffic, Tyler Reddick brushed the wall with just three laps remaining, handing the lead back to Hamlin and appearing to seal his fate. It looked like the opportunity had slipped away at the worst possible moment.
Then came the break he couldn’t have predicted.
A spin by Cody Ware (the race’s first true incident) brought out a late caution and reset the field for a two-lap overtime shootout. Under yellow, the leaders opted for two tires, with Hamlin winning the race off pit road. But the restart turned into chaos. Reddick, Hamlin, and Bell went three-wide into the corner, with slight contact sending Bell into the wall and scrambling the order behind.
Up front, Kyle Larson looked poised to end his 32-race winless streak. Yet, in a dramatic final-corner move, Tyler Reddick dove to the bottom and snatched the lead at the line. In a race defined by precision, patience, and one perfectly timed opportunity, Tyler Reddick etched his name alongside one of NASCAR’s greatest legends.
Kyle Larson’s near-perfect run ends in heartbreak
For Kyle Larson, Kansas Speedway once again felt like the place where everything could finally come together. It was here, just a year ago, that he last visited Victory Lane in the Cup Series. And as the laps wound down on Sunday, history seemed ready to repeat itself.
Larson had been a constant presence at the front all day. After finishing second in Stage 1, he took control in Stage 2, leading 77 laps and showcasing the kind of dominance that has defined his best runs. In the process, he even surpassed Kevin Harvick for the most laps led all-time at Kansas. This milestone underscored just how comfortable he is at the 1.5-mile track.
When it mattered most, Larson delivered again. On the overtime restart, he made a bold, aggressive move, diving three-wide to the inside of Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick through Turns 1 and 2 to snatch the lead. It was the kind of daring maneuver that wins races. And for a moment, it looked like it would.
But Kansas had one final twist. As the field charged into the final corner, Reddick found a lane on the bottom and surged forward at just the right time, slipping past Larson in a move that left the No. 5 driver with nothing but clean air and second place. For Larson, the wait continues. What would have ended a 32-race winless streak instead became another near-miss, albeit one that proved the speed is still there.
Now, the focus shifts to Talladega Superspeedway. This is a track that has historically been less forgiving for Larson, with no Cup Series wins to his name. And after coming so close at Kansas, the question isn’t if the drought will end but when.
