Tyler Reddick wins in Texas as major feud brews between NASCAR playoffs contenders

Tyler Reddick bowed out of the NASCAR playoffs last week but still managed to pick up a victory in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday night.

Reddick was among one of the last racers driving in the more than five-hour affair. The race was delayed for a bit due to bad weather. The win was Reddick’s third of the year, but he didn’t make the second round of the NASCAR playoffs after initially making the first round.

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Tyler Reddick celebrates with his crew after winning the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 25, 2022.
(AP Photo/Larry Papke)

Joey Logano, Justin Haley, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe finished behind him.

Chase Elliott came into the race as the points leader among those who qualified for the Round of 12. However, he finished in 32nd after an accident ended his day early. Logano was second in the standings and finished behind Reddick in the race. Blaney was eighth and Briscoe was on the bubble.

Joey Logano gives autographs before the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 25, 2022.
(AP Photo/LM Otero)

Two drivers in the middle of the pack competing to stay in the top eight were battling it out. The two were bumping each other at points around the turns, and at one point, William Byron spun Denny Hamlin out while the caution flag was already flying. Hamlin would respond by giving Byron a love tap during the caution lap.

Byron said Hamlin ran him out of room.

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“I didn’t mean to spin him out over there, but I’m obviously pissed off and just not going to get run like that. We’ve always raced so well together, so I don’t know what it was all about,” Byron told NBC Sports.

Hamlin wasn’t pleased either.

Denny Hamlin prepares to drive during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 24, 2022.
(AP Photo/LM Otero)

“I’ll just add it to the list of guys, when I get a chance, they’re going to get it,” Hamlin told NBC Sports after the race. “It all just works itself out. We’ll all be racing each other at some point. He’ll lose a lot of spots because he’s racing me.

“This is hard racing, obviously. I’m fine with hard racing but wrecking me under caution was not we were bargaining for,” he continued.

Hamlin finished in 10th place despite the wreck.

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The YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway is on the docket for next week.