Tyler Reddick dropped 43 points in the last five laps of the NASCAR Cup race at San Diego, sliding his championship lead to an eight‑point gap over Denny Hamlin and heading into Sonoma with a tight margin.
Reddick’s Fifth‑Lap Collapse
Fifteen points vanished when Reddick ceded the lead to 23XI Racing co‑driver Corey Heim, followed by an additional 28 points after a flat tire sent the No. 45 car re‑entering the race in 25th place. The accumulation of mixed incidents—a late‑night spin during qualifying that forced repairs and a mid‑race slide—compound the frustration of this difficult weekend.
Reddick’s day began with a qualifying spin that sent the team to the rear of the field. A mid‑race spin further stalled his progress, and a late‑race collision of his #67 entry brought the No. 45 car back near the back of the field, limiting opportunities for a recovery.
Driver Exchanges on the Sides of the Track
“The only way this day could have been worse is if, somehow, the contact we had took him [Heim] out of winning this race as well,” Heim told reporters, acknowledging his own mistakes.
In response, Reddick said, “I just apologized. He raced me really clean, he got the lead fair and square, and I just overdid it.” Reddick further added that “I didn’t have much left, and I made some bad decisions pretty much all day long, whether it was the beginning of the day, the middle of the day, or the end of the day.”
After slamming the door of the #67, which caused the vehicle to bounce off the wall, Reddick admitted, “I ran him straight in the wall. That wasn’t right. I wasn’t going to pass him for the win that way, especially a teammate.”
The incident left Reddick humbled, choosing to reset the night’s narrative with a genuine apology whispered in the paddock, reminding fans that while the race did not end in redemption, the esteem between Reddick and Heim remains unbroken.
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