July 31, 2022 | By Lee Spencer

Tyler Reddick triumphant in overtime at Indy

SPEEDWAY, Ind.—Tyler Reddick continued his road course prowess in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on Sunday.

Reddick powered the No. 8 Chevrolet to the lead on Lap 62 then held onto the point in overtime for his second win of the month.

Unlike his victory at Road America on July 3, son Beau was wide awake to watch his father’s celebratory burnout on the yard of bricks.

“I knew we had a late night so he was going to wake up a little late,” Reddick said after entertaining his sponsor 3CHI in Indianapolis on Saturday night. “I knew he wasn’t going to get tired this time. Thankfully, he was awake. He ran across the track and into my arms. I was really pumped about that.”

On the final restart, Ross Chastain challenged Reddick for the lead in overtime, but blew the first turn and was penalized 30-seconds for using the access road to gain an advantage and dropped from second to 27th at the finish. Austin Cindric moved up to second-place, 0.576-seconds behind Reddick.

“That was nuts,” Cindric said. “I hope the race fans enjoyed that. Obviously, those green-white-checkereds—it’s just caution out the window and everyone has fenders and bumpers to use, I guess.

“A lot to take in, a lot to handle. I’m glad we survived it all. It’s probably not the day I wanted with the Discount Tire Ford Mustang, but to come away with a good finish we’ll take it.”

Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top-five, marking the first time three Cup rookies--Cindric included--finished in the top-five since 1994 at the second Pocono race. For the besties—Burton and Gilliland—the podium results were career-bests.

“I thought we might get some distance on at least the 38, but wherever he goes I go with him or vice versa,” Burton said. “Every race we’re on each other’s bumper, so hopefully we both just start running top five every week and we’ll be running up there together.”

The spins came early and often beginning with Justin Haley in the first turn of the first lap. Ross Chastain and Hamlin were the next drivers to enter the spin cycle on the following lap. Three laps later, Hamlin veered off the track in treacherous Turn 1 and cut across the course. Brad Keselowski slipped off the track on Lap 7.

On Lap 13, Chris Buescher came to the pits and the No. 17 Ford burst into flames. The driver had to make multiple stops to clean the interior of the car but continued on. Briscoe won the first stage as Chase Elliott spun off course. While Briscoe had a solid car, pit road issues proved costly for the driver of the No. 14.

Aric Almirola was the first car out of the contest. On Lap 23, he locked up the left front tire and ran into Kyle Larson in Turn 1. Larson was 19th at the time and dropped to 36, three laps off of the pace.

Christopher Bell won the second stage and was one of a handful of drivers who were on a two-pit stop strategy. He pitted for the second time on Lap 50 turning the lead over to Reddick. On new tires, Bell passed Ryan Blaney for sixth-place seven laps later. Gilliland took the lead on Lap 56 before pitting four laps later. Joey Hand took the point just before Larson’s brakes failed entering Turn 1 and he plowed into Ty Dillon and destroyed both cars.

“All I saw was a blue flash and that’s about the hardest I’ve been hit by anything," Dillon said. "First, I’m just grateful to God that I’m OK and these cars are safe enough to take a shot like that."

Reddick cycled back to the lead on Lap 62. He survived the first of two restarts as a melee erupted behind him in Turn 8. Alex Bowman spun and collected Kevin Harvick. Both drivers ended up in the garage under the damaged vehicle policy. Harvick’s 33rd-place finish dropped him to 96 points outside of the top 16 on the Playoff grid.

Over the next six laps, Reddick pulled out to a three-second lead over Blaney. Elliott passed the No. 12 Ford for second on Lap 73. Four laps later, Bell, who was running sixth, blew a right front tire on the front stretch to trigger the fourth caution. Despite major damage, he recovered to finish 12th.

Once again, it was Reddick versus the field. Entering Turn 1, Blaney, who was on old tires, battled with Elliott and both went sideways. Kyle Busch, Briscoe, Wallace and William Byron all got a piece of the incident. Blaney and Wallace continued while Elliott dropped to 25th.

But Blaney was not so fortunate on the restart in overtime.

“You just get driven through,” said Blaney, who finished 26th. “I don't know if it was 99 the 2, the 21.  They just drive through you and I knew it was coming too and I tried to even get the 8 but I just get wiped out.

“It's usually how the end of these things go with people who don't give a (crap).”

Reddick maintained the lead with Allmendinger running second in the outside lane. Dinger got shoved aside as Chastain came from fourth to the lead before he was penalized for missing the turn.

“Just trying not to be in the corners there in Turn 1,” Chastain said. “I thought we were four wide, and couldn't go any farther right, and decided to take the NASCAR access lane out there.”

Reddick just wanted clarification as to whether Chastain was busted or not.

“I couldn't believe he got ahead of me,” Reddick said. “I was kind of waiting to see if he was going to have a penalty because I didn't want to move him out of the way and make his race worse than what it was.

“Yeah, I was really surprised by that; but hey, we made it work. Hats off to Ross for trying to do that, but really glad it didn't end up working out because I'd have been pretty pissed off.”

Joey Logano finished sixth followed by Allmendinger, Michael McDowell, Cole Custer and Chris Buescher.

Elliott retains a 125-point lead over Blaney in the NASCAR Cup standings.