In 1967, Richard Petty had the most remarkable season in NASCAR Cup Series history, winning 27 times, including 10 in a row.
But not even Petty, who seemed to set some kind of record every time he buckled into a race car, scored a statistical highlight that Tyler Reddick could reach this weekend.
After getting victories in dramatic finishes at Daytona and Atlanta, Reddick can become the first driver in Cup history to win the first three races in a season with a win at Circuit of the Americas, the first road course test of the season.
Only five other drivers in Cup Series history have had a chance to win the first three in a row. Marvin Panch won the first two in 1957 but finished third in the third race. Others who failed to win three straight after scoring in the first two races are Bob Welborn (1959), David Pearson (1976), Jeff Gordon (1997) and Matt Kenseth (2009).
The reality behind Reddick’s attempt this week is that he has a very good chance to run his streak to three. He has finished in the top 10 in all five races at the Austin, Texas, track (including a win in 2023) and is one of the series’ best road-course racers.
Three in a row would be a nice accomplishment for Reddick’s resume, but, in NASCAR’s new championship format, drivers might think twice before throwing away a certain top-five finish in pursuit of a win. However, risky late-race driving has marked the first two races of the season, so every move might be on the table.
“Am I going to throw away a second place to do that?” Reddick said. “Probably not, but certainly if at any point during the week I’m running out of reasons to be motivated to go win, I’ll keep that in my back pocket, for sure. It’s cool to be able or have the opportunity to potentially do things like that, but, to me, with where this season started and what I need to do as a driver, it’s all about just doing everything I can and showing up every week being as prepared as I can.”
So far, it’s been all Reddick all the time. Wins in the first two races have Reddick solidly atop the early season points standings. He leads 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace by 40 points entering COTA, a significant spread that illustrates the additional points package awarded the winner this season.
Reddick, Wallace, and Zane Smith are the only drivers who have finished in the top 10 in both races this year, and that’s a list that typically would include such frontrunners as Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson.
Reddick’s biggest threat Sunday is likely to be road-course star Shane van Gisbergen, who has won the past five Cup road races. Van Gisbergen failed to win at COTA last year, but he led 23 laps before losing ground in the final stage.
Last season, Van Gisbergen led 52% of the road-course laps on the way to becoming one of the best road racers in NASCAR history. His average finish on road courses last season is a gaudy 1.83, dramatically better than Christopher Bell in second place at 6.17.
Reddick, though, has good numbers of his own in this category. He has led 53 laps at COTA, third best behind Byron and Kyle Busch, and his average finish there is 4.6. Reddick and Alex Bowman are the only drivers with top-10 finishes in all five COTA events.