Tyler Reddick's Historic NASCAR Three-Peat Leads 23XI 1-2 In Points After COTA Masterclass

Tyler Reddick's historic surge continued to dominate the narrative three races into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, as the 23XI Racing driver delivered a commanding performance at Circuit of the Americas to become the first driver ever - since the series launched in 1949 - to win the opening trio of events. From a winless 2025 following his 2024 regular-season championship, Reddick has flipped the script with victories across superspeedway, draft-heavy intermediate, and now technical road course layouts. 

Tyler Riddick celebrates his "Three-Peat" win with the NASCAR fans in Texas on the Formula 1 front straight near the Start/Finish line at Circuit Of The Americas (COTA). One can never be replaced as a first-time ever! Image Credit 23XI via FB/META (2026)

Leading 58 of 95 laps at COTA, including the decisive final 20, he outdueled road-course maestro Shane van Gisbergen, who had claimed five straight road wins entering the weekend. "We did not like getting beat like that at road courses," Reddick noted post-race. "It's one race, but it was so important, so fitting that we were able to get three in a row and make history." The streak has elevated 23XI to early title-contender status, with Michael Jordan's "It's time for change" proclamation ringing truer by the lap.

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series drivers - Click-Image - competing for the 2026 championship after Tyler Reddick’s win at Circuit of The Americas — an unprecedented third straight victory to open the season — and before Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell enters as the defending winner. - Image Credit: NASCAR (2026)

Teammate Bubba Wallace has quietly but effectively kept pace in the points hunt, sitting second overall ... just 70 back of Reddick's 186 after finishing 11th at COTA. With no wins through three races but two top-10 finishes (including strong runs at Daytona and Atlanta that netted consistent stage points and solid finishes), Wallace has maximized every opportunity in the new points format. His steady, mistake-free approach - coupled with 23XI's clearly dialed-in equipment - has positioned him as the closest pursuer, turning the team's 1-2 lock in the standings into a genuine powerhouse story rather than a one-man show.

Trackhouse Racing entered the weekend with sky-high expectations ... Ross Chastain starting on the front row, van Gisbergen chasing history, and rookie Connor Zilisch showcasing his road-racing pedigree. Yet the day unraveled into frustration. Van Gisbergen chased hard but faded in the closing laps, admitting, "Just following Tyler, his driving was immaculate and his car was very good, too. I tried but didn't quite have enough." Zilisch flashed promise, climbing into contention multiple times only to suffer incidents, including a late-race spin with Zane Smith that cost him a top-five opportunity. Chastain ran solidly in the top 10 until a wheel departed his Chevrolet, triggering a two-lap penalty and likely a two-race crew suspension. What promised to be a showcase for Trackhouse turned into a day of near-misses and costly mistakes.

In a bizarre twist amid the on-track drama, Alex Bowman stepped out of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after feeling ill and falling toward the rear. With little hope of a strong finish, the team opted for a mid-race driver change, bringing in Myatt Snider - who had been working as a FOX Sports pit spotter that very day. The part-time Xfinity/O'Reilly series competitor climbed aboard to salvage owner points, marking one of the more unusual in-race swaps in recent memory.

Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, is running his seventh full season in the NASCAR Cup Series. He opened the 2026 season with a bang, breaking a 38-race winless drought to earn his first Daytona 500 and crown-jewel victory. Reddick followed that with wins at EchoPark Speedway and Circuit of The Americas, becoming the first driver, EVER, to win three consecutive races to open the season. Image Credit 23XI via FB/META (2026)

The early points table already shows deep holes for several drivers after just three events. Bowman sits dead last among the 36 full-timers, while five others - Connor Zilisch, Cody Ware, Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, and Bowman - trail by at least 30 points. The margin isn't insurmountable over the remaining 23 races, but any further slip-ups could burn through their playoff mulligans quickly.

Next up: Phoenix Raceway, the series' first sub-1.5-mile venue of the year, sharing the weekend with INDYCAR. Reddick owns two top fives in 12 prior starts there, and with Michael Jordan confirming on the broadcast, "I’ll be at Phoenix," the 23XI contingent arrives carrying momentum and the weight of chasing the unprecedented four-peat. The season is young, but the storylines are already writing themselves in bold.

... notes from The EDJE

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