NASCAR Cup Series: Reddick returns to victory lane amidst Phoenix chaos

Credit: Getty Images via NASCAR

Tyler Reddick emerged with the lead late in a chaotic Phoenix race to scored his sixth victory of the season.

As it unfolded

Ryan Blaney started on pole position with Joey Logano alongside. Behind them, Joe Gibbs teammates Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe battled for third. Josh Berry moved past Briscoe to take fourth place as the race entered the second half of Stage 1.

On Lap 44, Riley Herbst and Michael McDowell crashed in Turn 3, bringing out the first caution. Most of the field took the opportunity to pit. Hamlin and Byron took two tyres and were the first off pit road. Larson moved up twelve spots, while Blaney lost seven positions after a slow stop.

Hamlin and William Byron led the restart. On four fresh tyres, Joey Logano passed Hamlin for the lead with eight laps remaining in the stage. Meanwhile, Larson dropped back out of the top 10.

Logano went on to capture the stage win.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

2. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

3. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

4. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

5. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)

6. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

7. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

8. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

9. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

10. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

Credit: Alejandro Alvarez NASCAR Digital Media

Joey Logano and Christopher Bell led the field back to green on Lap 69. Bell swept around the outside of Logano in Turns 1 and 2 to take the top spot. Blaney climbed back through the ranks as the stage progressed, reaching second before being passed back on Lap 102. Blaney's performance then began to decline as he struggled with grip.

Meanwhile, Bell maintained the lead and points leader Kyle Larson continued to have a day to forget, hanging around the 24th position.

Green flag pit stops started on Lap 122, with William Byron, Daniel Suárez and a few others coming for service. Bell pulled off the track on Lap 123, handing the lead to Logano.

On Lap 125, Brad Keselowski spun at the entrance of pit road, but no caution was issued. Logano pitted on Lap 127, moving Josh Berry to first. When the pit cycle was over, Bell was seven seconds ahead of second-place driver Logano, although this gap closed as the stage went on.

John Hunter Nemechek had a flat tyre on Lap 151 but made it to the pits with issue. Josh Berry passed Logano for second on Lap 154.

Austin Dillon brought out a caution on Lap 157 when he suffered a tyre failure and made contact with the wall.

Logano gained two spots on pit road, sending him to first for the restart on Lap 164. Bell joined him on the front row. Briscoe followed Logano in the outside groove to advance to second.

John Hunter Nemechek suffered a second flat tyre on Lap 171 but made it to the pits, allowing green flag conditions to continue.

Joey Logano claimed his second stage win of the day.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

2. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)

3. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

4. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

5. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

6. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

7. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

8. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

9. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

10. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

Credit: Getty Images via NASCAR

Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe led the restart. Christopher Bell cracked the top five again after losing positions on pit road. Bubba Wallace passed Briscoe for second and began tracking down the leader.

Hamlin had a tyre failure on Lap 221 but managed to get to pit road without further incident. A caution was thrown two laps later when Cody Ware wrecked, also as a result of a flat tyre. Hamlin's misfortunes were exacerbated when he received a pit road speeding penalty.

Under caution, Bubba Wallace was first off pit road, with Logano losing four positions. Wallace and Briscoe held the front row when green flag conditions resumed. Tyler Reddick worked his way to third, with Bell and Logano chasing.

Logano dropped to sixth as the race progressed, with concerns emerging about potential alternator issues. He pitted with 46 laps to go, kicking off green flag stops with Blaney and Connor Zilisch.

Wallace pitted from the lead with 44 laps remaining. Briscoe assumed the position and kept it until he and teammate Bell made pit stops.

Wallace emerged with lead again when the pit cycle ended, with Reddick about a second behind. Meanwhile, Blaney re-entered the top three.

Ty Dillon was the next victim of tyre issues and John Hunter Nemechek had a third tyre problem a lap later. Both made it to pit road under green, but a caution was thrown with 30 laps to go for Kyle Larson hitting the Turn 1 wall. The damage would eventually end his day.

Most teams made pit stops during the caution period, but the top three drivers stayed out. Reddick and Logano were the first off of pit road. Wallace was penalised for speeding.

Briscoe and Chase Elliott led the field back to green with 19 laps left. Tyler Reddick made his way to the front and challenged Briscoe side-by-side for multiple laps. Reddick pulled away, with Briscoe fading. Reddick went on to win the race, ending a drought that traced back to April.

Following a race that saw title contenders plagued with incidents, only five points separate Kyle Larson from Christopher Bell. Denny Hamlin lost two spots in the standings, falling to fourth. Heading into Talladega, the top seven drivers are separated by 56 points.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

2. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

3. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

4. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

5. No. 67 - Corey Heim (23XI Racing)

6. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

7. No. 7 - Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports)

8. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)

9. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

10. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

11. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

12. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

13. No. 4 - Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)

14. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

15. No. 38 - Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

16. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)

17. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

18. No. 60 - Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)

19. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

20. No. 88 - Connor Zilisch (Trackhouse Racing)

21. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

22. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)

23. No. 16 - A.J. Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)

24. No. 33 - Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing)

25. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)

26. No. 97 - Shane Van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)

27. No. 41 - Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)

28. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) [+1 Lap]

29. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports) [+1 Lap]

30. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports) [+1 Lap]

31. No. 10 - Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing) [+2 Laps]

32. No. 35 - Riley Herbst (23XI Racing) [+4 Laps]

33. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club) [+5 Laps]

34. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [DNF]

35. No. 51 - Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing) [DNF]

36. No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports) [+111 Laps]

37. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) [DNF]