DARLINGTON, S.C. — A malfunctioning battery, a cool suit that got very hot, and a big deficit to the leader with less than 50 laps remaining at Darlington Raceway.
The “Track Too Tough To Tame” tested Tyler Reddick in every way possible Sunday, and this year’s top star in NASCAR’s top-tier Cup Series naturally passed with flying colors for his fourth victory of the season.
“I know never to give up,” said Reddick, who broke through after three runner-up finishes on the tricky 1.366-mile oval. “I think it’s very fitting that when we finally get our first win here at Darlington that ‘The Lady in Black’ would test us like that. We’ve been so close so many times.”
After starting in pole position for the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan, Reddick led 77 laps in the No. 45 Toyota for the 12th victory of his Cup Series career. After chasing down Brad Keselowski’s RFK Racing No. 6 Ford following his final pit stop, Reddick breezed to a 5.847 seconds margin of victory.
Ryan Blaney finished third in a Team Penske Ford, followed by Carson Hocevar in a Spire Motorsports Chevrolet and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric.