Tyler Reddick did something no one has ever done in NASCAR history. He won the first three races of the season. The 23XI Racing driver held off road course king Shane van Gisbergen at the Circuit of the Americas to seal the record. It was a tense battle between two of the best in the business. Reddick led a race-high 58 laps but had to survive late pressure from the driver known as SVG. The win cements Reddick’s name in the record books and gives team owner Michael Jordan another reason to celebrate .
The Final Showdown With SVG
The last stage at COTA turned into a straight fight between Reddick and van Gisbergen. SVG had won five straight NASCAR road course races coming into this event. He was chasing a sixth win that would tie a record held by Jeff Gordon. But Reddick would not let it happen.
With about 20 laps to go, van Gisbergen closed right onto Reddick’s bumper. He looked for a way around the No. 45 Toyota. But Reddick kept his cool. He did not make a single mistake in the tricky turns of the Texas road course.
“It was going to come down to that,” Reddick said after the race, talking about the fight with van Gisbergen. “We did not like getting beat like that at road courses. It’s one race, but it was so important, so fitting that we were able to get three in a row and make history” .
As the laps ticked down, van Gisbergen could not find a way past. In the final six laps, he started to fall back. Reddick crossed the line about four seconds ahead. It was a statement win against the best road racer in the series .
A Record That Stood Since 1963
Winning three races in a row to start a season had never been done before in the Cup Series. Not by Richard Petty. Not by Dale Earnhardt. Not by Jimmie Johnson. Tyler Reddick is now the only driver to pull it off.
He won the Daytona 500 to start the year. He won at Atlanta the next week. Then he won at COTA. For team owner Michael Jordan, it felt like old times.
“It’s time for change. It’s time for change,” Jordan told Fox Sports after the race. “Tyler came in with the most pressure with the chance to win three in a row — that’s the hardest one to win. And he kept to his strategy” .
23XI Racing became the first team to sweep the first three races since Petty Enterprises in 1963. That is over 60 years between such starts. Denny Hamlin, who co-owns the team with Jordan, summed up the moment.
“It’s unbelievable,” Hamlin said. “I’m not going to see it again in my lifetime, someone to go out there and win three races in a row to start the season” .
How the Race Played Out at COTA
The race at the Circuit of the Americas was not a simple runaway. Reddick had to work for it. He started from the pole position after a fast lap in qualifying .
In the first stage, Reddick saved his tires. He dropped back in the pack and pitted before the stage ended. That put him 18th at the stage break. Ross Chastain won Stage 1, with van Gisbergen right behind him .
In the second stage, Reddick moved back to the front. He took the lead from Ryan Blaney. He looked strong but pitted again near the end of the stage to set himself up for the final run. Ty Gibbs won Stage 2 .
The final stage is where it got real. Reddick stayed out during a late caution when others pitted for fresh tires. That gave him track position. Van Gisbergen was right there. But the fresher tires behind him could not help SVG get by.
“Just following Tyler, his driving was immaculate and his car was very good, too,” van Gisbergen said. “I tried but didn’t quite have enough” .
Van Gisbergen’s Road Course Streak Ends
For Shane van Gisbergen, second place felt strange. The New Zealander had won five of the last six road course races in the Cup Series. The only one he did not win last year was at COTA. That trend continued in 2026.
“It’s weird to be disappointed to be second, still a great points day,” van Gisbergen said .
Despite the loss, it was a strong points day. He moved up to fifth in the overall standings. But the goal was clearly the win. He just could not find a way around Reddick.
The good news for SVG came the day before. On Saturday, he won the second-tier series race at COTA. It was his first win at the track in any NASCAR series. That win showed his speed. But on Sunday, Reddick was better .
Rough Day for Trackhouse Teammates
It was a mixed day for Trackhouse Racing. Ross Chastain started on the front row and won Stage 1. But late in the race, a wheel came off his car. He spun and brought out a caution. He finished 35th, two laps down. The team will face penalties next week for the loose wheel .
Rookie Connor Zilisch had a wild day. He got spun not once but twice in Turn 1. The first spin came on a restart in Stage 2. The second came with 16 laps to go when he was running in the top five. He fought back both times to finish 14th .
Alex Bowman Gets Sick, TV Spotter Drives
One of the strangest moments of the race involved Alex Bowman. The Hendrick Motorsports driver felt sick during the race. With about 25 laps left, he climbed out of the car.
The team needed a replacement fast. They called Myatt Snider. Snider was working at the track as a spotter for the Fox Sports TV broadcast. He had to rush to put on his race suit and jump in the car. Snider had not raced in a national series since last fall. He finished the race for Bowman .
Brad Keselowski Battles Through Pain
Brad Keselowski provided another feel-good story. He broke his right leg in December. Road courses are tough on the body with all the left and right turns. But Keselowski drove the whole race. He had sports car ace Joey Hand on standby just in case. He did not need him. Keselowski finished 20th.
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What the Win Means
This win puts Tyler Reddick alone at the top of the standings. He has a big lead just three races in. More than that, it shows how strong 23XI Racing has become. The team Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin built can now beat anyone, anywhere.
Reddick won at a superspeedway (Daytona). He won at a drafting track (Atlanta). And now he has won at a technical road course (COTA). He has shown he can win on any type of track.
For van Gisbergen, it is back to work. He will have more chances on road courses this year. But for one day in Texas, the king of the road had to bow to the man making history.
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