NASCAR Playoffs at Texas: Tyler Reddick wins attrition-filled 2022 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500

September 26, 2022

One week in the past at Bristol, Tyler Reddick’s probabilities on the 2022 Cup Collection championship got here to an finish when he was collected in a crash that eradicated him from the NASCAR Playoffs by two factors. However whereas Reddick’s championship hopes have passed by the wayside, Driver No. 8 himself definitely hasn’t.

After an eventful, dramatic race that noticed a observe report 16 cautions and a sample of tire failures, Reddick was in a position to survive and drive away on the finish to win the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was Reddick’s third victory of the season, and it continues a streak of now 4 straight non-playoff drivers to win within the 2022 NASCAR Playoffs.

Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 unofficial outcomes

  1. #8 – Tyler Reddick
  2. #22 – Joey Logano
  3. #31 – Justin Haley
  4. #12 – Ryan Blaney
  5. #14 – Chase Briscoe
  6. #43 – Erik Jones
  7. #24 – William Byron
  8. #6 – Brad Keselowski
  9. #5 – Kyle Larson
  10. #11 – Denny Hamlin
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Reddick’s win was a bittersweet one, because it was considerably of a reminder of what might need been for him and his No. 8 group had it not been for misfortune within the Spherical of 16. After ending third at Darlington, Reddick minimize a tire and crashed whereas main at Kansas after which was collected in a crash at Bristol.

Had Reddick been in a position to advance to the Spherical of 12, Sunday’s win at Texas would have superior him to the following spherical. However on a optimistic notice, Reddick’s victory served as a powerful message that he and his race group shall be a drive the remainder of the 12 months.

“Each spot issues on this deal, and we simply had two robust races,” Reddick advised NBC Sports activities. “… It is robust, however it will make the ache of not making it by way of a bit bit simpler. Regardless that, sure, it might have locked us into the Spherical of 8. However hey, we’re profitable races, that is what we’ll preserve making an attempt to do.”

Tire Terrors

Coming into Sunday’s race, there was an implicit understanding that the excessive aspect could be a bother spot, as that space of the observe has been a no man’s land missing in grip ever since Texas Motor Speedway overused traction compound within the higher lanes trying to artificially create a second groove. What wasn’t anticipated, nevertheless, was the sheer stage of impression that attrition would have on this race.

Texas’ 500-miler was marred by a excessive stage of proper rear tire failures, lots of which occurred in Turns 3 and 4 and plenty of of which occurred on the entrance of the sector. Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman all got here to grief inside the first stage of the race, and issues solely obtained worse from there.

Because the race wore on, the lead automotive’s proper rear successfully turned a ticking time bomb. Chase Elliott blew a proper rear tire whereas main on Lap 184, sending him exhausting into the wall off Flip 4 and out of the race. Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. would later undergo the identical destiny whereas main in Flip 3, and different vehicles to have tire failures close to the entrance of the sector included Chris Buescher and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Chatting with reporters, Goodyear’s Greg Stucker stated that the tire failures weren’t dissimilar to proper rear tire failures seen at Atlanta earlier this 12 months. The tire firm believed the air pressures that groups have been working performed an element, as did the traction compound laid down in addition to altering observe circumstances late within the race.

“We’re working significantly sooner than what we have been earlier than,” Stucker said. “… The resin I feel has saved the racetrack extraordinarily quick. There’s little or no tire falloff. When the underside’s not working, the blokes can transfer up. All these elements, I feel, play into it. No excuses, we’re simply looking for the info and determine what precisely is occurring.”

The excessive quantity of tire failures led to 16 cautions in whole, a mark which broke the Texas Motor Speedway report for cautions in a single race (The earlier excessive had been 13 within the fall of 2014). There was additionally a crimson flag of just below an hour as a result of a popup rain and lightning storm.

Byron vs. Hamlin

The one factor extra dramatic than beef between drivers is beef between playoff drivers, which is precisely what exists now between William Byron and Denny Hamlin after the 2 had a run-in with one another late in Sunday’s race.

Whereas battling for second spot following a restart with 76 laps to go, Hamlin ran Byron broad up the racetrack on the exit of Flip 2, which led to Byron hitting the skin wall and dropping his place. Byron took exception to the way in which he was raced by Hamlin, and he made certain to repay the favor: As the sector slowed after Martin Truex Jr. crashed out of the lead, Byron hit Hamlin from behind and spun his No. 11 Toyota by way of the infield grass.

Hamlin and his group have been irate — Hamlin’s crew needed a penalty to be assessed to Byron, to which Hamlin responded that he would “give him the penalty” if he was in a position to catch Byron once more. Nonetheless, they might recuperate to complete tenth whereas Byron completed seventh, with each drivers expressing their distinction of opinion in post-race.

“He ran me out of room and bent the toe hyperlink. We’re fortunate we completed,” Byron advised NBC Sports activities. “… I did not imply to clearly spin him out over there, however I am clearly pissed off and simply not gonna get run like that. We have all the time raced so nicely collectively, so I do not know what it was all about.

“The No. 19 took his air away and he ran out of racetrack, so he selected to run me out of racetrack fully. … There’s actually no purpose. We’re working second and third I feel and had a shot to win, and killed our automotive for certain.”

“I am going to simply add it to the listing of fellows, once I get an opportunity, they’re gonna get it,” Hamlin advised NBC Sports activities. “All of it simply works itself out. We’ll be racing one another in some unspecified time in the future, and he’ll lose a variety of spots as a result of he is racing me.

“That is exhausting racing, clearly. I am advantageous with exhausting racing. However wrecking me beneath warning will not be what we have been bargained for.”

The feud between Byron and Hamlin shall be price monitoring over the remainder of the Spherical of 12, in addition to the Spherical of 8 if each drivers can advance. Byron and Hamlin depart Texas 17 and eight factors above the cutoff line, respectively.

Cody Ware

Probably the most harrowing second of the race occurred on Lap 168, when Cody Ware was concerned in a vicious crash in Flip 4. Ware overcorrected after getting sideways mid-corner, sending him head-on into the skin wall after which down the racetrack towards pit street with no management over his automotive. Ware narrowly missed hitting the opening within the pit wall resulting in the storage space — saving what may have been a a lot worse collision — earlier than hitting the pit wall itself and coming to relaxation in entrance of B.J. McLeod’s pit stall.

Ware was in a position to climb out of his automotive, however he did so gingerly earlier than stumbling to the bottom. Ware was placed on a stretcher and transported by ambulance to the infield care middle, the place he spent an intensive period of time receiving X-Rays earlier than being launched.

In response to Rick Ware Racing, Ware was affected by some ankle discomfort however had neither a concussion nor any damaged bones. Team president Robby Benton told reporters that Ware must be okay to race subsequent weekend, however he’ll want NASCAR’s approval earlier than doing so. Ware was in a position to journey residence along with his group.

Race Outcomes Rundown

  • With a third-place end, Justin Haley matched his season-best end from Darlington in Might whereas scoring his second top-five and third top-10 end of the season. Haley’s mark of three high 10s is a brand new single-season excessive for Haley, who scored two high 10s whereas working all however 5 races in 2021.
  • A fifth-place end was a lot wanted for Chase Briscoe, because it marked his first top-five end because the Coca-Cola 600 in Might and his greatest end general since then. Briscoe was the second-highest ending playoff driver, which has introduced him simply 4 factors under the minimize line for the Spherical of 8.
  • After his probabilities of profitable have been foiled by a minimize tire at Bristol, Brad Keselowski received the pole on Saturday after which overcame an early pit street rushing penalty to complete eighth. It marked Keselowski’s fifth top-10 end of the season, two of which have come because the playoffs started at Darlington.
  • Michael McDowell used technique to get out in entrance when the race was crimson flagged, and he would in the end lead 12 laps earlier than ending eleventh. It marked the sixth race that McDowell has led this season, three of which have seen him lead a double-digit quantity of laps. McDowell beforehand led 34 laps at Gateway and 14 laps at Watkins Glen.
  • Get the penny counter out: Corey LaJoie prevented bother all day and completed 14th to attain his second top-15 end in a row. It is the primary time LaJoie has had consecutive finishes inside the highest 15 in his Cup profession.
  • Harrison Burton had an attention-grabbing day, taking the lead beneath inexperienced and main 15 laps earlier than having to battle again from a gradual cease and hearth on pit street to complete 18th. Burton’s laps led mark breaks his earlier profession excessive set at Atlanta in July.

Subsequent Race

Subsequent week begins a pair of untamed card races within the Spherical of 12, starting with the YellaWood 500 subsequent Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.