Autotrader 400 Recap: Reddick Wins With No Fender in Double Overtime Thriller

Tyler Reddick started on the pole and led the most laps. That part was straightforward. Everything else about the Autotrader 400 was pure Atlanta chaos.

Reddick's No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota was collected in a nine-car wreck on lap 224 when Denny Hamlin lost it on the high side entering Turn 3. The carnage swept up Joey Logano, William Byron, A.J. Allmendinger, and several others — ripping the entire right-front fender off Reddick's car. Only 28 cars remained on the lead lap. Most teams would have been done for the day.

Reddick wasn't most teams.

With the front tire fully exposed and aerodynamics thrown out the window, the defending Daytona 500 winner drove the mangled Toyota back to the front. Michael Jordan, standing on the pit box in the cold, had no idea his driver was even in contention. "The last time I looked, he was 18th or 20th," Jordan said afterward.

"I’m so hyped I don’t even feel the cold right now."

The fireworks weren't over. With just four laps remaining in regulation, William Byron's tire gave out on the frontstretch and triggered an 11-car chain reaction that collected Austin Cindric, Todd Gilliland, and Cody Ware. The race would go to overtime.

On the first overtime restart, Carson Hocevar turned defending race winner Christopher Bell into the outside wall — forcing a second overtime attempt. "I was taking every run," Hocevar admitted afterward. "I’m sure I owe people apologies."

On the final restart, Reddick's teammate Bubba Wallace held the lead. Wallace had dominated all day — 46 laps led, the Stage 2 win, and the best car in the field for most of the afternoon. But entering the final lap, Wallace jumped too high trying to block Hocevar. Reddick dove underneath his own teammate, and with no right-front fender, held off Chase Briscoe by just 0.164 seconds to take the checkered flag.

Wallace, who finished eighth after getting shuffled on the restart, was gracious: "I’m just pumped that Toyota still got to victory lane. Unfortunate, but man, what a race car we had today."

The early laps were violent even by Atlanta standards. Josh Berry and Ty Gibbs tangled on lap 81, ending both their days. Kyle Busch spun after contact with Noah Gragson on lap 124 and slammed into the outside wall. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was taken out in a lap 103 pileup triggered by Riley Herbst that also collected B.J. McLeod, Todd Gilliland, and Austin Dillon.

Austin Cindric controlled Stage 1, winning from the pole position in the No. 2 Penske Ford. Bubba Wallace took Stage 2 after a thrilling battle with William Byron — but the stage finish came at a cost. Kyle Larson, who had led 48 laps and looked like the class of the field, attempted to cut off Shane van Gisbergen at the stage finish. He didn't make it. Larson's No. 5 slid into van Gisbergen's front and skidded into the wall. His day was done on lap 160.

Top Performers

Best Value Plays

Biggest Busts

Stage 1 belonged to Austin Cindric (#2), who controlled the race from the front and held off a charging field to earn the stage win from the pole. Bubba Wallace ran second, Kyle Larson third, and William Byron fourth — all banking stage points that would prove critical given what was coming. Chase Elliott slotted into fifth for his first of two top-5 stage finishes.

Stage 2 was Bubba Wallace's (#23) masterpiece. The 23XI Toyota led most of the stage and crossed the line first, banking 10 bonus points and looking like the car to beat for the win. William Byron ran second, Chase Briscoe third, and Tyler Reddick fourth. But the stage finish itself was where Kyle Larson's day ended — his attempt to squeeze van Gisbergen at the line sent him into the wall, a costly mistake that turned a potential 60+ point fantasy day into a 21.8-point bust.

Lap 224 — The Big One: Denny Hamlin lost the back end entering Turn 3 on the high side. The resulting chain reaction collected nine cars including Reddick, Logano, Byron, Allmendinger, and Connor Zilisch. Only 28 cars remained on the lead lap. Reddick's right-front fender was gone, but the car was still running.

4 Laps to Go: William Byron's tire failed on the frontstretch, sending him spinning into an 11-car pileup. Overtime.

Overtime 1: Carson Hocevar turned Christopher Bell into the outside wall. Second overtime.

Overtime 2: Bubba Wallace jumped too high, Reddick dove inside, and crossed the line 0.164 seconds ahead of Briscoe. History.

• Laps led + stages = fantasy gold at Atlanta — Reddick (62.3 pts) and Wallace (57.6 pts) combined for 99 laps led and stage finishes in both stages. At a track where positions shuffle constantly, bonus-point categories separate winners from the field.
• Chase Briscoe ($11) was the hard charger play — P34 to P2 with 27 laps led. He had no business being near the front from 34th, but Atlanta's pack racing creates exactly these kinds of outcomes. Always look for back-of-grid starters with fast cars at superspeedways.
• Shane van Gisbergen ($6) is the new superspeedway value king — 6.18 pts/$ from 28th to 6th with a Stage 2 P10. The road course ace is learning pack racing fast, and his $6 salary makes him a must-consider at every drafting track.
• Premium picks got destroyed again — Larson ($13), Bell ($13), and Busch ($12) combined for 53.7 points on $38 of salary. That's 1.41 pts/$ from three of the most expensive drivers in the field. Atlanta punishes favorites.
• Bubba Wallace was the highest-scoring non-winner — 57.6 points from P8 because of 46 laps led, Stage 1 P2, and Stage 2 P1. At Daytona he had 41 points from P10. Wallace is becoming the ultimate superspeedway fantasy play — even when he doesn't win, the laps led and stage points carry the day.
• Double overtime means anything can happen — Reddick was 18th after the lap 224 wreck and won the race. Bell was in contention and got turned by Hocevar. Wallace was leading and jumped too high. At Atlanta, your lineup can go from bust to boom on a single restart.