NASCAR at COTA results, highlights: Tyler Reddick holds on in overtime to pick up first career win with 23XI Racing
There aren’t many better racers on the Cup Series circuit than Tyler Reddick.
And the rising star proved it on Sunday when he used 23XI Racing’s impressive pace to take a crucial win at COTA – his first for the racing organization of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
Making things look easy, Reddick, getting into the number 45 car in place of Kurt Busch, galloped around the winding track. There were a few sticky moments when Alex Bowman, William Byron and Kyle Busch all held onto different spots. However, Reddick was the fastest car in qualifying. And while his win wasn’t easy – the race went into overtime with three separate race restarts – it was well deserved.
The youngsters impressed throughout Sunday’s race, with Byron, Ty Gibbs and Todd Gilliland all finishing in the top ten. And while the day wasn’t without delays – the warning flags came thick and fast, especially in the closing stages of the race – it was a window into the future of the sport. With Reddick, Byron and Co. at the helm, that future looks a lot brighter.
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The Sporting News followed live updates from the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA. Below are the live reactions as the racers sped through Austin’s labyrinthine racetrack.
NASCAR at COTA live updates, highlights from the 2023 race
(All times Easter)
7:28 p.m.: Tyler Reddick takes the checkered flag! Busch, Bowman, Chastain and Byron finish out the top five. 23XI’s cars continue to impress.
7:24 p.m.: Reddick a second ahead of his competition. He’ll be straight as long as there aren’t any more weird deals behind the field. The white flag is out and it looks like it will be Reddick at the moment.
7:23 p.m.: Back to the green at COTA. Reddick is back in front despite receiving some serious pressure from Bowman.
7:13 p.m.: Immediately back for Reddick, who leads Busch by about a second. I’m just waiting for the white flag. And again a warning flag is waved, this time for debris! Another reboot is coming.
7:12 p.m.: We’re about to go green. The front two rows are Reddick Byron Busch Truex.
7:02 p.m.: Reddick is in good form with two laps to go. He has a lead of 1.2 seconds over Busch. However, Blaney’s tire bursts and it looks like it’s another caution. Disheartening stuff for Reddick, who was moments from the white flag.
6:58 p.m.: Reddick flanked by Byron and Busch, among others. He kept things clean throughout the race, so Chase Elliott (who appears as a guest analyst on tonight) doesn’t expect to be faced with too much dirty laundry.
6:52 p.m.: ATTENTION! Austin Dillon slams his right front tire trying to compete for a one-lap lead. We’re going into overtime! Unfortunate situation for Reddick, who was in the best position to take the checkered flag. But it should be interesting when the race restarts.
6:51 p.m.: Reddick in decent form as we near the end of the race. Byron pays respects to Reddick as he makes his way through the corners, perhaps an indication of how clean both racers were.
6:49 p.m.: Reddick walks over to get past Byron! Only five more rounds. Back and forth in the final stages at COTA.
6:45 p.m.: Byron takes the lead after another race restart, holding the slightest edge over Reddick. As we speak, the corners get tight. Only six more rounds.
6:38 p.m.: Restarting the race makes things that much more tense with eight laps remaining. The front row consists of Reddick and Christopher Bell.
6:28 p.m.: 11 laps left. The likes of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin could probably get away without a pit stop.
6:19 p.m.: With 15 laps to go in the final stage, the racers at the front of the board face a difficult dilemma: stay on track or pit before an overtime that may not come at all. decisions decisions…
6:11 p.m.: Allmendinger has problems with his radio. He’s low on fuel and his team is trying to get creative, using colorful duct tape to tell him what to do.
6:10 p.m.: Ryan Preece’s day ends after being docked with two speeding violations
6:00 p.m.: Back and forth between Reddick and Byron for the lead. Dazzling stuff from the two rising Cup Series talents.
17:30: Reddick takes phase 2! He’s in close competition with the likes of Allmendinger, Square and Byron.
5:03 p.m.: Taylor on his first ever NASCAR pit stop. He looked like a pro out there, fixing his tires and fuel with relative ease.
5:01 p.m.: Byron three-quarters of a second ahead of second-placed Cindric. Allmendinger is not far behind either. Driver #16 is among the best street racers in the Cup Series.
Eight laps left in Stage 2.
4:55 p.m.: Blaney has contact with Larson and sends him into the pit lane. A hard hit for the racer from Team Penske.
4:47 p.m.: We go back to green and it is Byron who is credited with the Stage 1 win. We are immediately into Stage 2, where the #24 car of Cindric and AJ Allmendinger joins at the front of the field.
4:39 p.m.: Two more rounds. Reddick drove to the pit lane. Apparently he had planned this step in advance. It will be interesting to see if it works for the 23XI driver.
4:30 p.m.: Bubba Wallace makes a big contact with Kyle Larson going into the corner. The #23 car just couldn’t stop as he turned the corner. Caution flag waved. Larson and Wallace could be in trouble.
4:25 p.m.: Fierce battle between Reddick, Cindric and Byron for first place. It looks like Reddick will come out on top in Round 9. Seven more laps before the end of Stage 1, which leads straight into Stage 2, as opposed to the typical stage breaks where drivers head to the pit lane.
4:20 p.m.: Chase Briscoe absorbs some contact at Turn 1 and spins his car around. Could have been a lot worse, but that puts him way behind.
4:17 p.m.: Back to the green in Austin. It’s Austin Cindric leading the way. Taylor looked like he had his right front tire locked as he attempted to avoid Hendrick Motorsports teammate Bowman. He drops out of the top ten while trying to recover.
4:09 p.m.: Jimmie is done for today. Unfortunate sight for those hoping for the GOAT to do its thing on the road.
3:59 p.m.: ATTENTION! Multiple contact between turns 19 and 20. Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson among those involved. Just one lap down and we’re already seeing the chaos COTA can bring.
3:57 p.m.: And off we go at COTA! Slow start but it’s Byron and Reddick leading the way in the front row.
3:53 p.m.: Baking day in Austin. Should make the course all the more slippery which adds to the difficulties of the race.
3:49 p.m.: Some racing dignitaries here at COTA, with Jordan Taylor, Kimi Raikonnen and Jordan Taylor all participating. Should be a good race here at COTA.
3:35 p.m.: Ross Chastain has a great watermelon throwing form. Check out this TV spot he did with Clint Bowyer and Bob Pockrass.
3:32 p.m.: National anthem now. Overrated track. you know what not COTA, the location of today’s race!
3:31 p.m.: Sage Steele leads the pre-race prayer. Pretty fitting. Even a bit of pro-America propaganda. Not ideal.
3:27 p.m.: One driver went to the rear: Michael McDowell, who needed some adjustments to his #34 car before the race.
3:16 p.m.: Just moments away from the start of the race. Jimmie Johnson returns to the field in the #84 car. It will be interesting to see how the all-time great fares today.
NASCAR at COTA starting grid
| start pos. | driver | car no | team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | William Byron | 24 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 2. | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI race |
| 3. | Austin Cinderic | 2 | Team Penke |
| 4. | Jordan Taylor | 9 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 5. | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse race |
| 6. | Alex Bowman | 48 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 7. | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 8th. | Eric Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 9. | Kyle Bush | 8th | Richard Childress Racing |
| 10 | Noah Gragson | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 11. | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI race |
| 12. | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse race |
| 13. | Kyle Larson | 5 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 14 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 15 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penke |
| 16 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers race |
| 17 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 18 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 19 | Hunt Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas race |
| 20 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Motorsport in the front row |
| 21 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 22 | Kimi Raikkonen | 91 | Trackhouse race |
| 23 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 24 | Jenson Button | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 25 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 26 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas race |
| 27 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsport |
| 28 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas race |
| 30 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK race |
| 31 | Jimmie Johnson | 84 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 32 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK race |
| 33 | Josh Bilicki | 78 | Live fast motorsport |
| 34 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsport |
| 35 | Conor Daly | 50 | TMT race |
| 36 | death Gilland | 38 | Motorsport in the front row |
| 37 | CodyWare | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 38 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penke |
| 39 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas race |
What channel is NASCAR racing on today at COTA?
- TV channel: Fox (USA) | TSN5 (Canada)
- Live broadcast: FoxSports.com, fubo
This year’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will be broadcast on Fox in the US. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN5.
Mike Joy will direct US coverage and serve as the race’s lap-by-lap announcer. He will be joined on the stand by former Cup Series veterans Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch, and Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner.
Cord cutters can find Sunday’s race on FoxSports.com as well as fubo, which offers a free trial.
When does the NASCAR race start today?
- Date: Sunday March 26th
- start time: 3 p.m. ET
Sunday’s race has a listed start time of 3:00pm ET. However, pre-race activities are expected to delay the waving of the green flag to 3:19 p.m. ET.