Austin, Texas – Tyler Reddick is on the verge of making NASCAR history this Sunday at Circuit of The Americas as he attempts to become the first driver to win the first three races of a NASCAR Cup Series season. After starting 2026 by clinching dramatic victories at both the Daytona 500 and EchoPark Speedway, Reddick now aims to keep his momentum alive during the third race of the season, which airs live at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Fueled by a strong start and a pole-winning position at COTA, the seasoned driver understands the significance of this rare achievement.
Historic Context of Early Season Wins in NASCAR
Only five drivers in NASCAR history have won the opening two races of a single season, with Reddick joining an elite group. Modern-era champions David Pearson (1976), Jeff Gordon (1997), and Matt Kenseth (2009) accomplished this feat, while Marvin Panch (1957) and Bob Welborn (1959) did so during the 1950s. Notably, while Panch came close to sweeping the first three races with wins at Willow Spring Speedway and Concord Speedway before finishing third at Titusville-Cocoa Speedway, no driver has ever managed to claim victory in all three initial contests. Kenseth’s bid ended early when an engine failure sidelined him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 17 years ago, underscoring the difficulty of sustaining such a streak.
Circuit of The Americas: Reddick’s Ideal Venue for a Historic Win
Circuit of The Americas represents prime territory for Reddick’s attempt at this unprecedented three-race winning streak. The No. 45 driver secured the pole position for Sunday’s event, adding to his advantage. Impressively, in his five previous starts at COTA, Reddick is one of only two drivers, alongside Alex Bowman, to finish exclusively within the top 10, boasting a 4.6 average finish that leads the series and stands as his personal best track record.
“It’s kind of fitting that we come here with that opportunity to be in position for that, and it’s going to be super important that the things we work on apply today and tomorrow,”
Reddick said early Saturday during media availability.
“We’ve been strong when you look amongst the field at road courses, but I really like coming here and coming to these other road courses and contending for wins,”
he remarked.
“I guess last time we were here, we were pretty close, but from pretty much this point on for the rest of last year, it was out of sight for us.”
“I like Watkins Glen – it’s fast. Sonoma is fun, but this place, there is so much happening over the course of the lap. Whether it’s approaches, driving styles, how the corners are shaped – you can’t just have one approach and copy and paste it to the whole track. You have to have a different approach for the different sections and I’ve always enjoyed that about this place.”
Proven Road Course Expertise Boosts Reddick’s Chances
Reddick’s skill on road courses has been evident, especially since the arrival of the Next Gen car in 2022. Out of his 10 career NASCAR Cup victories, three have come on road courses, sharing the spotlight with Chris Buescher for 17 top-10 finishes over 23 races. His recent form is even stronger, achieving 14 top-10 results in the last 17 starts. His standout performance at COTA includes a win with 23XI Racing in 2023, where he led a race-high 41 laps from a front-row start to secure his first victory with the team.
His success on various road courses cements COTA as his top preference on the circuit, adding confidence to his historic bid.
Competition and Challenges to Overcome on Race Day
Reddick acknowledges that strong rivals will test his pursuit of the win, including series newcomers and veterans pushing the limits. He pointed out the competitiveness of Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, highlighting their impressive recent performances.
“We will have to find a way to close the gap to Shane [van Gisbergen], and Connor [Zilisch] has been very strong on the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series side,”
Reddick shared.
I wouldn’t be shocked if both of them are up there in the front of this thing.”
Since van Gisbergen’s breakout success, the Cup Series field has faced increased challenges to improve, but Reddick remains focused on his own performance goals rather than outside expectations.
“I feel like I always need to show up and go as fast as I can,”
he said.
I don’t know if it’s necessarily to prove it to anybody else, but just go out there and run well and score a lot of points. When you look at it, [van Gisbergen has] done a good job of starting up front, having a clean race and making it hard for anyone to even challenge him. It adds to it, but it’s not anymore so than other weekends when it’s a race or track type that things have gotten away from us.”
Significance of a Triple Win and What It Means for 23XI Racing
Should Reddick, teammate Bubba Wallace, or fellow 23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst claim victory at COTA, 23XI Racing would join the ranks of only two other organizations in NASCAR Cup history to win the first three races of a single season. DePaolo Engineering achieved this in 1957, and Petty Enterprises did so in 1963. Accomplishing such a feat would underscore 23XI Racing’s growing dominance in the sport’s highly competitive landscape and mark a rare milestone in NASCAR history.
