By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
FORT WORTH, Texas — They say everything is “bigger” in Texas and certainly NASCAR’s Round of 12 Playoff opener at Texas Motor Speedway lived up to the billing.
From Playoff consequences to a red flag delay to bumper-banging aggression, tire fall-off and record statistical marks, there was no shortage of competitive drama in Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500.
Ultimately Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick prevailed as race winner – taking the green flag by 1.190-seconds over Penske Racing’s Joey Logano in a final 24-lap green flag run to the checkered flag. It was the 26-year old Californian’s third career victory and first win on an oval after claiming trophies on two road courses earlier this season.
“We had a lot of issues today, I’m not going to lie,’’ Reddick said with a smile, listing a number of setbacks from pit road mishaps, vibrations in his No. 8 RCR Chevrolet to holding off a hard-charging Logano, who has now taken the NASCAR Cup Series championship lead by 12 points over Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain.
“Every time we’ve had a strong car we’ve been bit by something,’’ said Reddick, who announced earlier this season he is leaving the RCR team to go to 23XI Racing in 2024.
“This is a tough race, 500 miles here is not an easy feat and I know it wasn’t easy on you,’’ Reddick said motioning toward the grandstands. “So great to win here in a Cup car, been close here a couple times.’’
With the victory, Reddick becomes the fourth consecutive “non-Playoff” driver to win a race in four Playoff races of the 2022 season. Yet, there was still plenty of drama among the Playoff 12.
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, who finished seventh, and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, who finished 10th had a literal “run-in” late in the race. Byron said he felt Hamlin ran him up on track causing his No. 24 Hendrick Chevrolet to hit the Turn 2 wall and damage his car. And in retaliation, he bumped Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota during a caution that ended up sending Hamlin spinning into the infield.
“It was really hard contact,’’ the 24-year old Byron said of the incident that put his car in the wall, adding, “I didn’t mean to spin him out over there but obviously I’m pissed off and not going to get run like that. We’ve always raced together so well so I don’t know what it was all about.
“I…
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