March 1, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick, 45, passes Turn 16 during the RelaDyne-powered NASCAR Cup Series Duramax Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Image Tyler Reddick made NASCAR history Sunday with a 17-lap dash to beat Shane van Gisbergen for his third straight win. Won the checkers at the DuraMax Texas Grand Prix held at the Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas.
Reddick, 30, became the first driver in the 78-year history of the NASCAR Cup Series to win the first three races of a season.
van Gisbergen, who has won five consecutive road course races, put pressure on Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota on the final restart and got close with the No. 97 Chevrolet, only to watch the Camry XSE dwarf in front of him and win by 3.944 seconds.
Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and Michael McDowell rounded out the top five.
To start the first of four road races in 2026, 23XI Racing’s Reddick paced the group on the 2.4-mile, 20-turn layout, but Chase Briscoe immediately took the points as Ryan Blaney chased down the No. 19 Toyota and passed him on Lap 9.
Ross Chastain scored top points in his Stage 1 win, with van Gisbergen, McDowell, Chris Buescher and AJ Allmendinger rounding out the top five spots.
19-year-old prodigy Connor Zilisch, who was running seventh on the restart, was clipped by Daniel Suarez and spun in turn one, slipping all the way to 37th.
Reddick switched positions in the Toyota as soon as the green flag flew on the 25-lap Stage 2, leading Blaney and William Byron into the top three as Van Gisbergen passed Suarez to move up to fourth.
Pitting started second three laps early, Reddick headed for service and Gibbs, Allmendinger and Suarez took the first three positions as Stage 2 was completed.
The best battle on Lap 60 was a physical battle between Bell, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch for ninth through 11th, but Reddick’s Toyota went on to hold off Blaney by less than a second.
Bell became the first of the leading group to come to pit road for the final stop with 33 laps remaining, but Briscoe had a rear-end issue that took his Toyota behind the wall.
On Lap 75, Chastain lost a wheel and received his third caution overall, but McDowell received his first caution for causing it. McDowell stayed away and led the race while the entire field pitted.
–Field level media
