NASCAR at Texas results: Tyler Reddick takes the checkered flag after a chaotic day, night of racing

David Suggs

•
NASCAR at Texas results: Tyler Reddick takes the checkered flag after a chaotic day, night of racing image

When Sunday's AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 came to its merciful end, the finish was fairly calm. Tyler Reddick's No. 8 car made its way over the finish line with nothing but clean air around him.

It was a stark contrast to what had transpired at Texas Motor Speedway in the hours prior. The race was defined by chaos: 16 caution flags were waved on the day/night, as well as a red flag. Seven drivers were knocked out of the race, including playoff drivers Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell. And Cody Ware was taken to the infield medical care center after a scary wreck that ended with his car hitting a wall on pit road.

All of this is to say, Reddick's victory came under the most trying of circumstances. The race started shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET and didn't wrap up until nearly six hours later.

The proceedings came down mostly to the all-important final stage. The weather conditions when Stage 3 started were far different than the ones that existed during Stages 1 and 2. The track temperature was 20 degrees cooler by the final stage, making it easier for tires to maintain their grip — something that had proven particularly difficult under the beaming Texas sun earlier.

That helped the likes of Reddick, Joey Logano, Justin Haley, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe all stay at the front of the pack as laps continued to dwindle. Ultimately, it was Reddick, with an aggressive team and a car that seemed to find life as the sun drifted down, who found a way.

MORE: Watch NASCAR Cup Series races live with fuboTV (free trial)

With his win at Texas, Reddick now has three career Cup Series victories. He entered 2022 with none to his name.

"That's how we tell everybody we ain't done yet," Reddick said while taking his victory lap. Reddick was eliminated from the playoffs last week at Bristol. He is leaving Richard Childress Racing after the 2023 season for 23XI Racing. 

The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday's playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway. Below are highlights and live results from the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500, a race that lived up to the hype.

NASCAR at Texas live updates, results, highlights

(All times Eastern)

9:10 p.m.: Reddick takes the checkered flag at Texas Motor Speedway! Career victory No. 3 for Reddick.

9:09 p.m.: One lap left for Reddick!

9:08 p.m.: Reddick still has the edge. Four laps to go. Wonderful display by Reddick, who looks on pace for his Cup Series-high ninth top-three finish. A real rising star in racing.

9:06 p.m.: Reddick holds a 1.3 second lead over Logano. With just six laps to go, will that be enough? Logano's among the fastest cars left on the track.

9:04 p.m.: Larson with a phenomenal save! Keselowski got tight on him and Larson just avoided the wall. His crew chief apologized for not making the proper adjustments during today's race.

Looks like Larson is hoping to stay in the top 10 and live to fight another day.

9 p.m.: Enthralling back-and-forth between Briscoe, Byron and Larson for fifth place. As of now, it's Briscoe who has the slight edge.

8:58 p.m.: Back to green with 24 laps to go. Reddick, Logano and Justin Haley in the top three. Briscoe making a late dig for third.

8:51 p.m.: The 16th caution of the night comes out. It's for Aric Almirola, who spun into the wall after a closely-packed race restart. 28 laps to go and it's looking gnarly as ever.

8:43 p.m.: Yet another caution flag, this time for Austin Cindric and Stenhouse Jr. Looks like Stenhouse Jr. lost some grip on the turn, sending his car into the wall. Cindric found a way to avoid a collision with Stenhouse Jr., sliding like a ninja to get himself away from the wall. Reflexes are on point.

8:40 p.m.: Reddick leads the way with 41 laps to go. He's got a one-second edge over Logano in second. We'll have to see how this one finishes.

8:36 p.m.: Looks like Hamlin has vengeance on his mind. The No. 11 driver told his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, that he'll make sure to give Byron his own form of punishment if he gets his car around where Byron is.

8:33 p.m.: Very tight in the front. Stenhouse Jr., Reddick, Gilliland and Logano are all within a second of each other. 53 laps to go and it's looking like it will be an absolute doozy in the final stage.

8:31 p.m.: Green flag is waved again and it's rookie Todd Gilliland with the lead. Stenhouse Jr. in second, although the two are going back-and-forth for that race-leading position.

8:23 p.m.: Unbelievable series of events at Texas! First, Martin Truex Jr., the race leader, wrecked after suffering a front flat tire.

Then, William Byron and Denny Hamlin got into it! Byron seemed to take exception with Hamlin making some contact before the caution flag was waved. Byron clipped him on the caution lap. Looked like Hamlin wanted his payback, knocking into Byron's car shortly thereafter. That will be something to watch post-race.

7:55 p.m.: With 95 laps to go, here's how things are shaping up at the top of the leaderboard:

  • Tyler Reddick
  • Erik Jones
  • Michael McDowell
  • Kevin Harvick
  • Brad Keselowski

7:53 p.m.: Byron is finding a lot of success with cooler track temps. He's risen 11 places since the race restart. Now, he's the only playoff racer to feature in the top-10 at the moment.

7:51 p.m.: Reddick takes the lead! Impressive restart by Reddick, who had dropped a lap behind earlier in the day. 

7:49 p.m.: Contact between McDowell and Erik Jones! Jones doesn't look too happy about it, but neither car suffers enough damage to knock them off the track.

7:48 p.m.: We are back in action at Texas!

7:46 p.m.: The red flag has been lifted. We are now on a caution flag. 112 laps to go, track conditions are poised to be different — Chase Briscoe's team says the track is 20 degrees cooler than it was earlier today.

7:43 p.m.: After a lengthy delay due to rain and lightning, drivers have restarted their engines once more for Stage 3.

5:57 p.m.: Ware is headed to the infield care center, per NASCAR officials. 

5:48 p.m.: Cody Ware goes into pit road! The front end of his car is in absolute tatters after a bad collision. Looks like Ware is out of his car, but medical officials are working on Ware in pit road. Scary situation for the No. 51 driver.

5:40 p.m.: Not looking great for Bell. He entered today's race four points above the cut line and is now 24 points below it. Had a great Stage 1 run but looks like he won't be able to continue any further. His team is still working on his car, but things are looking more and more dire for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the moment.

5:38 p.m.: Wallace and the No. 45 team has really pulled it together. After dropping as far back as last-place, Wallace has gotten himself into the top-five. He's been looking a whole lot more consistent over the past few months. That's got to be encouraging going forward for Wallace and 23XI Racing.

5:36 p.m.: Elliott nabs the lead after the race restart. Erik Jones and Chastain going back-and-forth for second place at the moment. This is right where you want to be if you're in the Round of 12.

5:29 p.m.: Caution flag waved! It's for Bell, who spins into the wall at Turn 4. Bell gets some damage to the front right and back right bumpers. That's not ideal for a playoff driver like Bell.

5:22 p.m.: Burton has taken the lead. That will be good for the youngster, who has made a good impression in the Xfinity Series.  He's gotten one top-five finish in his Cup Series career up to this point. Perhaps he can get No. 2 at Texas?

5:19 p.m.: Reddick is headed to pit road. Told his team that he's experiencing some serious shakiness in the car. He'll only be one lap down, so he still has a shot to do well here.

In the front, it's non-playoff drivers Stenhouse Jr. and Burton leading the way. Stenhouse Jr. will likely have to pit in the next 15-20 laps, but it will be nice for him to be out in front.

5:17 p.m.: Stage 2 is off the mark and it's Stenhouse Jr. at the front. He's followed by Reddick and Harrison Burton. 10 laps down in the second stage and things are going fairly swimmingly, although there was a little looseness from McDowell's No. 34 a few laps earlier.

5:07 p.m.: We're at a ferocious pace at the end of Stage 2. Larson, Hamlin, Logano, Daniel Suarez, Ross Chastain and Byron all within a second of each other. There's contact between Larson and Hamlin at the front of the pack but Larson's holds on to take Stage 1! What a finish!

4:59 p.m.: Alex Bowman goes into the wall! He came fast into Turn 3 and 4 and couldn't pull it together in time, scraping the back of his whip into the wall. Bowman was running in eight place before his collision.

His team has ten minutes to get his car right or it'll be a done day for playoff driver Bowman.

4:57 p.m.:  Larson holds a slight lead over Hamlin. Byron lost his opposition, prompting him call his team and apologize for driving poorly.

4:44 p.m.: Toyota cars having some issues. Another caution flag waved after Christopher Bell's tire pops. Also, Cole Custer's 41 car skidded out, something that has happened 

4:39 p.m.: Elliott communicating to his team that he's got some smoke in the car. He's not quite able to distinguish where it's coming from, but something to watch for in the coming few laps.

4:37 p.m.: This race restart sees Byron, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick competing for the first spot. Byron has the edge early, but there's a whole lot of time for Hamlin and Reddick to get themselves back into it.

4:28 p.m.: The race restart lasted for all of a few seconds. Ricky Stenhouse's No. 47 car makes a little contact with Ty Dillon before sliding sideways on the track. It has been a choppy race so far, with three caution flags waved in the race's opening 57 laps.

4:21 p.m.: Another caution flag waved, this time on Lap 50! Kyle Busch swerves into Turn 3 before slamming the back of his car into the wall. The playoff races have not been kind to Busch.

Looks like Busch is done for the day. His car is headed to the garage...again.

4:17 p.m.: Keselowski incurred a speed penalty, meaning all that track position he earned from nabbing the pole during qualifiers has evaporated. That's not ideal.

4:13 p.m.: Caution flag waked after Martin Truex Jr skids across the track heading into the turn. Cars are headed to pit road now.

4:08 p.m.: Logano and Byron overtake Keselowski! Seems that Keselowski showed a little trepidation heading into the turn, allowing Logano and Byron to pass. However, he's back to around a 30-second lap, which is in line with how he was doing in the race's opening laps.

4:07 p.m.: Chase Elliott is falling fast. He's dropped two spaces in the past five laps. Looks like he's having some difficulties with handling. Plenty of time to recover, though.

4:02 p.m.: Bubba Wallace is having a putrid day early. He's in last place and is a lap down after 27 laps. Seems he's having some real issues with his steering. Not what you want to hear, particularly for Wallace, who still has a chance at the ownership trophy with 23XI Racing.

3:57 p.m.: Keselowski holding firm through Lap 12. He's approaching a two-second edge over Logano.

Further down the field, looks like Chase Briscoe is really struggling early. The No. 14 car is in 31st place, not what you would want to see from a playoff driver. We'll see if he's able to get himself back into it over the course of Stage 1.

3:53 p.m.: Keselowski, Logano and William Byron have separated themselves from the rest of the pack early. Nearly a second difference between third-place Byron and fourth-place Michael McDowell.

3:51 p.m.: And we are off! Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano setting the pace in Row 1.

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

  • Race: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500
  • Date: Sunday, Sept. 25
  • Start time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Sunday's race is listed to start at 3:30 p.m. ET, but the green flag is scheduled for 3:49 p.m. ET.

What channel is NASCAR on today?

  • TV channel: USA (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
  • Live stream: Peacock, fuboTV
  • Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 will be broadcast on USA Network in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN5.

USA's broadcast will feature Rick Allen as the lap-by-lap announcer. He'll be joined by former Cup Series veteran Jeff Burton, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte.

Cord-cutters can stream Sunday's race on Peacock or fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

MORE: Here are the Round of 12 drivers after Bristol cutoff race

Starting lineup for Texas playoff race

Pos. Driver Car No. Team
1 Brad Keselowski 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
2 Joey Logano (P) 22 Team Penske  
3 William Byron (P) 24 Hendrick Motorsports  
4 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing  
5 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports  
6 Chase Elliott (P) 9 Hendrick Motorsports  
7 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing  
8 Denny Hamlin (P) 11 Joe Gibbs Racing  
9 Kyle Larson (P) 5 Hendrick Motorsports  
10 Daniel Suarez (P) 99 Trackhouse Racing  
11 Austin Cindric (P) 2 Team Penske  
12 Ross Chastain (P) 1 Trackhouse Racing  
13 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing  
14 Ryan Blaney (P) 12 Team Penske  
15 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing  
16 Ty Gibbs 23 23XI Racing  
17 Alex Bowman (P) 48 Hendrick Motorsports  
18 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing  
19 Bubba Wallace 45 23XI Racing  
20 Harrison Burton 21 Wood Brothers Racing  
21 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing  
22 Christopher Bell (P) 20 Joe Gibbs Racing  
23 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing  
24 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing  
25 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing  
26 Noah Gragson 16 Kaulig Racing  
27 Erik Jones 43 Petty GMS Motorsports  
28 Todd Gilliland 38 Front Row Motorsports  
29 Corey LaJoie 7 Spire Motorsports  
30 Chase Briscoe (P) 14 Stewart-Haas Racing  
31 Justin Haley 31 Kaulig Racing  
32 Ty Dillon 42 Petty GMS Motorsports  
33 Garrett Smithley 15 Rick Ware Racing  
34 BJ McLeod 78 Live Fast Motorsports  
35 Landon Cassill 77 Spire Motorsports  
36 Cody Ware 51 Rick Ware Racing

(P) Playoff driver. 

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.