Tyler Reddick’s Chicagoland setback has turned a once-commanding NASCAR regular-season lead into a live 23XI Racing pressure point.
NASCAR confirmed Reddick went behind the wall during Stage 2 of Sunday’s Cup race after fluid poured from the No. 45 Toyota, with a manufacturer spokesperson saying a splitter stay from another car punctured the radiator and oil cooler. The failure brought out a caution and left Reddick 30 laps down before he was classified 36th.
Why Chicagoland Hit So Hard
The result sharpened a slide that began after Reddick had led the Cup standings by 129 points following Watkins Glen. He lost the lead at Sonoma after a power-steering issue, had already been hurt by late tyre trouble at Naval Base Coronado and a Michigan crash, and has now absorbed another low-score finish at Chicagoland.
The damage is not just mechanical. NASCAR’s standings update after Race 19 shows Denny Hamlin now leads by 44 points, after finishing third in a race won by Chase Briscoe. Hamlin told TNT Sports the No. 45 “continues to bleed out” through bad luck and mechanicals.
That quote matters because Hamlin is not only the championship leader; he is also Reddick’s 23XI co-owner. For ReadMotorSport readers tracking the earlier Reddick Sonoma pressure line, Chicagoland reframes the No. 45 season. The speed is still there. The margin has gone.
