Photo: Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images
Denny Hamlin has stated that he wants to help Tyler Reddick run complete races.
Reddick took those lessons to heart on Sunday.
After restarting sixth on a green-white-checkered, Reddick made a bold three-wide move coming to the white flag to win the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. It’s his fifth-career win and 23XI Racing’s third in the last four Kansas races.
Like any great race car driver would, Reddick said the move for the win was all instinct.
“I don’t really remember the restart,” Reddick said. “Everything happened so fast and I just kind of went for it.”
The race appeared to be in Hamlin’s control late. After taking the lead from Brad Keselowski on lap 187, Hamlin, who led 63 laps, held a nearly three-second lead before a caution with seven laps to go. All but Daniel Suarez came it, with Erik Jones, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano only taking two tires.
Hamlin didn’t get the push he needed from Larson, eventually rallying to finish second.
“I just didn’t do a good job on the restart,” Hamlin said. “You just hope that the strategy works out and I thought our pit call was right.”
Multiple playoff drivers ran into trouble throughout the day, none worse than Martin Truex Jr., who spun and crashed on lap 4 after suffering a flat right rear tire.
After winning the regular season championship, Truex Jr. will enter Bristol seven points below the cut line.
“A bunch of guys could have problems and we would be alright again,” Truex Jr. said, according to Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. “We have had a great year and we had an awesome car.”
On his podcast, “Actions Detrimental,” Hamlin has mentioned that Reddick needs to learn how to complete races. Reddick has the second-best average starting position in the series but the 14th best average finish.
Through two playoff races, he’s done that with a second and first.
“The speed that we have been bringing makes things a lot easier,” Reddick said. “I love racing at 105% but I don’t know if this is the time to do it in the first round.”
“[Reddick] is a sponge,” Hamlin added. “His weakness was race management. It was getting to the finish with the finish you deserve. Days like today certainly build his confidence.”
Reddick’s teammate, Bubba Wallace, suffered a flat tire and was relegated to a 32nd place finish. Wallace, who was second in the first stage, sits 19 points out of the final transfer spot headed to the cutoff race at Bristol.
With Reddick locked in, it will be all hands on deck at 23XI Racing to get Wallace through.
“We’re definitely going to show them support,” said Bill Scott, crew chief of the No. 45. “We’re going to be standing behind them. We’re going to be pumping them up and reminding them that they can do this.”