Tyler Reddick's NASCAR Cup Series championship hopes took a hit on Sunday night at Chicagoland Speedway. A piece of debris damaged his radiator, causing him to finish 36th.
What happened?
The incident occurred during the second stage, when a piece of debris went through the front of his 23XI Racing Toyota Camry, immediately causing it to spew fluid.
Reddick was running 20th at the time of the incident, but only because it was during a green-flag pit cycle. He had qualified 13th and run inside the top 10 before his night took a turn.
Why it matters for Tyler Reddick
This result marks the third consecutive week that Reddick finished 25th or worse, and he now trails Denny Hamlin by 44 points in the standings.
Hamlin, meanwhile, won the pole at Chicagoland and finished third, with an average finish of seventh over the last seven races.
What comes next?
There are seven races left in the regular season, and Reddick will need to turn his fortunes around quickly if he hopes to regain the top spot in the standings.
Reddick won five of the season's first nine races, but his recent struggles have allowed Hamlin to take the lead. Reddick expressed frustration with the result, saying 'I hate it for everyone at 23XI; back-to-back weeks of uncertain things just coming our way.'
On Sunday, Reddick said 'it stinks – 36th two weeks in a row, with kind of unforeseen things having caused it.' He acknowledged that the year is balancing itself back out, but emphasized the need to survive some of these races.
Denny Hamlin, who had been on a hot streak of three wins in five races, surpassed Reddick by one point a week ago at Sonoma Raceway. Hamlin's average finish over the last seven races is seventh, compared to Reddick's 20.6.
Hamlin led 30 laps and finished third at Chicagoland, but felt he got a little lazy on some restarts and lost ground to Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell.
The NASCAR Cup Series will continue with seven races left in the regular season, and Reddick will look to bounce back from his recent struggles. On 6 Jul, Reddick finished 36th, while Hamlin finished third, and the gap between them in the standings continues to grow.
Reddick's team, 23XI Racing, will need to regroup and find a way to get their driver back on track. With the championship on the line, every race counts, and Reddick cannot afford another finish like the one he had at Chicagoland Speedway.
The pressure is on for Reddick to perform, and he will need to find a way to overcome his recent struggles if he hopes to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship. On 6 Jul, the NASCAR Cup Series saw a shift in the standings, and Reddick will need to adapt quickly to stay in contention.