Tyler Reddick had not led a single lap of the Freeway Insurance 500 until there were 18 to go. Then he won it. The No. 45 took two tires on the last caution, went four-wide on the restart at Phoenix Raceway, cleared Chase Briscoe a lap later and beat Ryan Blaney by 0.801 seconds. It was Reddick's sixth win of 2026, his 14th in the Cup Series, and his first at Phoenix in 14 tries.
It also broke the championship wide open. Kyle Larson blew a right front, hit the wall in Turn 1 and finished 34th. His points lead went from comfortable to five points over Christopher Bell with three races left.
Key Moments and Turning Points
Joey Logano owned the first half of the day. He took the lead from Denny Hamlin, won Stage 1, then won Stage 2 as well. That is 20 stage points on an afternoon when every point mattered. Christopher Bell quietly led the most laps of anybody with 85 and stayed in range all day.
Then the back half turned into a different race. Bubba Wallace restarted up front and led 52 laps, the best stretch of his season. He looked like the car to beat. The caution for Larson's wreck with about 30 laps to go sent the field to pit road, and Wallace got nailed for speeding on the way in. He restarted at the back and finished 17th. That is a win that got away.
Chase Briscoe gambled the other way. He stayed out on old tires, led from lap 286, and had the race in his hands on the lap 294 restart. Nineteen laps was too long to hold it. Reddick got by on lap 295 and Briscoe slid back to eighth.
Pit Strategy: Why Two Tires Was the Right Call
Phoenix rewards grip on a short run, and that last caution ran 11 laps. That is the exact window where two tires wins.
Four tires costs you the most time on pit road. You come out behind cars that took less. Staying out costs you nothing on pit road but leaves you on rubber that is already done, and at Phoenix worn tires give up through the middle of the corner where the pass happens. Two tires splits it. You lose a couple of spots, not ten, and you carry real front grip into the restart against cars that are sliding.
Photo: Nascar9919 / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Blaney came home second on a day where he also set the fastest lap of the race at 27.101 seconds. He led four separate times. He just did not have anything for Reddick over those last 18 laps.
Stats and Fun Facts
- Reddick led 18 laps all day. All 18 were the last 18.
- Christopher Bell led 85 laps and finished fourth.
- Six cautions for 43 laps, and the last one changed the whole race.
- 21 lead changes among 10 drivers.
- Average speed 103.207 mph. Race time three hours, one minute, 23 seconds.
- Corey Heim finished fifth in the No. 67, the second 23XI car in the top five.
- Post-race inspection came back clean. No cars to the R and D Center.
Who Is Hot, Who Is Not
Hot: Tyler Reddick. Six wins leads the series. He was seventh in points coming in and nobody was talking about him. Now everybody is.
Hot: Ryan Blaney. Second, fastest lap, led four different times. Penske has speed at the right time of year.
Hot: Joey Logano. Swept both stages and finished sixth. He banked 20 stage points on a day the leaders lost ground.
Not: Kyle Larson. A blown right front and a 34th-place finish turned a cushion into five points. His words after: "I was just trying to salvage anything in the top 20 would have been great and then I blew a right front."
Not: Bubba Wallace. Fastest car over a 52-lap stretch, then a pit road speeding penalty and a 17th-place finish.
Not: Denny Hamlin. Led early, took stage points, then faded to 28th and went a lap down.
Fan Pick of the Week: How It Played Out
This week's matchup was Denny Hamlin as the favorite against Josh Berry as the underdog. The vote was lopsided. Fans went 100 percent Hamlin, zero percent Berry. Phoenix went the other way. Berry brought the No. 21 home 11th. Hamlin finished 28th, a lap down. The underdog won the matchup outright, and the fans got this one wrong.
Fans who enter their email and pick the driver who finishes higher get a 5 dollar code good all week. This week's new matchup is already posted on the Rivalries page.
What It Means With Three Races Left
Larson still leads, but only by five over Bell. Briscoe sits third, 24 back. Hamlin, Blaney, Logano and Reddick are all still live. Seven drivers are in the fight. Next up is Talladega on October 25, which is the least predictable track left, then Martinsville and the finale at Homestead-Miami. You can see every date and the updated points on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule and standings.
Your Take
Briscoe had the lead and stayed out on old tires with 19 laps to go. Was that the right call with the championship on the line, or should he have taken two like Reddick did and raced for the win from third? Tell us what you would have done.
Gear Up
Gear for the drivers who shaped Phoenix:
- Tyler Reddick 3CHI Trucker Mesh Adjustable Hat
- Ryan Blaney #12 2026 New Hampshire 301 Win T-Shirt
- Chase Elliott #9 2026 Martinsville 500 Winner T-Shirt
- Christopher Bell #20 Bristol Night Winner T-Shirt
- Joey Logano #22 2026 Bristol Night Winner T-Shirt
- Ty Gibbs #54 2026 Iowa Corn 350 Winner T-Shirt
New gear drops every week. See the latest arrivals, or get the win shirt sent to you automatically through the win shirt subscription fan club.
