2026 DuraMax Texas Grand Prix Race Recap

By Adam Carabine

Tyler Reddick became the first driver in NASCAR history to make it back-to-back-to-back wins to start the NASCAR Cup Series Season!

Reddick started strong, earning the pole in qualifying.  Through Stage One, he maybe went too easy on his car, trying to save tires, but was able to adjust his pace and eventually held off road-course wizard, Shane Van Gisbergen (SVG) for the win. 

Lap 1: Reddick started the race on pole, but lost the lead at turn one to Chase Briscoe who looked fast early.

Lap 5: SVG, who started 13^th, had already made his way up to 7^th.  He was the fastest car on the track.

Lap 9:  Ryan Blaney takes the lead from Chase Briscoe, and SVG is now up to P5.

Lap 16:  With the stage end looming, a group of drivers hit pit road to try and flip the stage. 

Lap 17:  An even larger group of drivers heads to pit road.

Lap 18:  Ryan Blaney pits from the lead, and pit road closes behind him with 2 to go in the stage.

Lap 20:  Ross Chastain wins Stage One, SVG finishes P2 afer staying out.

Lap 24:  Stage Two begins with Tyler Reddick back up front after cycling through pit stops.  Reddick and team worry that he might have a loose right rear wheel, but opt to stay out and chance it.  Connor Zilisch gets spun by Suarez in Turn 1 and undoes a lot of the hard work he did to get up near the front.

Lap 27:  Noah Gragson loses it, spins and hits a wall, but gets it back going.  No caution.

Lap 39:  After starting 15^th in the stage, SVG has worked his way up to P4, and is still charging.

Lap 41:  Again, with the end of Stage Two looming, we get our first takers on pit road – Brad Keselowski and Zane Smith.

Lap 42:  Another group come to pit road, including Alex Bowman who gets a penalty for an uncontrolled tire.

Lap 43:  Josh Berry spins, but again it stays green.  Leader Tyler Reddick pits alongside Chase Briscoe and Michael McDowell.

Lap 44:  Ryan Blaney, SVG, Kyle Larson, and William Byron pit, Ty Gibbs to the lead as the pits close.

Lap 45:  Ty Gibbs wins Stage Two, Tyler Reddick gets stage points despite flipping the stage, as he finishes P5.

Lap 51:  Green flag for the final stage!

Lap 52:  Erik Jones spins from 33^rd, but it stays green.

Lap 55:  Ryan Blaney starts gaining on Reddick, and starts really challenging for the lead.

Lap 57:  Connor Zilisch makes it up to P10.

Lap 60:  Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell go toe-to-toe for most of the lap.  Aggressive driving!

Lap 61:  Kyle Busch capitalizes on Bell and Larson’s feud and moves to P10.  Zilisch is now up to P7.

Lap 63:  The pit window is officially open, and Christopher Bell is the first taker.  Issue for Chase Briscoe – it seems only one tire is spinning properly.  Turns out to be a transmission issue, and Briscoe is the first (and spoiler alert only) DNF of the day.

Lap 64 – After seeing Christopher Bell pit, a big group follow the next lap to not get left behind.

Lap 66 – Leaders are playing a bit of chicken over who’s going to pit first, as many others farther back are pitting.

Lap 69 – Reddick’s lead over Blaney has become 1.6 seconds, it’s assumed Blaney will pit next time.

Lap 70 – Blaney does indeed pit, but Reddick gets wind of it and comes too.  Nearly a drag race off of pit road, but Reddick maintains the lead over Blaney just barely.

Lap 72 – Now Michael McDowell is in the lead, nearly everyone behind him has pit.  He’s running 3 seconds slower a lap, but has a decent lead.

Lap 75 – CAUTION – Ross Chastain loses a tire!  Also, Alex Bowman is reportedly really not feeling well.  He brings it down pit road, and Hendrick standby driver Myatt Snider swaps with him and takes over the 48 car!

Lap 79 – Back to green.  Having stayed out, Reddick leads Blaney, SVG and Zilisch to the line – Zilisch gets the raw end of the deal and gets spun out in Turn One due to an accordion effect started by Kyle Busch.  SVG gets by Blaney for P2.

Lap 82 – Chris Buescher spins at the final turn before the front stretch, again due to Kyle Busch – this time he was warring with part-time teammate Jesse Love in the 33.

Lap 84 – SVG is closing in on Reddick for the lead.  Bell is the first driver with new tires, and has made his way up to P4.

Lap 85 – Bell now to P3!

Lap 88 – Reddick has been seeing nothing but SVG in the rearview mirror, but it looks like SVG’s car is backing off.  Reddick’s lead grows to just over one second.

Lap 93 – Reddick continues to keep pushing.  His lead is now 3 seconds over SVG.

Lap 95 – Final Lap – Hocevar spins just past the start finish online on his own, but finally manages to get it back going.  It stays green to the finish, where Tyler Reddick wins his third race in a row!  The first time in NASCAR history that anyone has won the first three races of the season!

Next weekend we head west to Phoenix Raceway!