Tyler Reddick took the win in the second race of the NASCAR playoffs that kicked off in Kansas City for the Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas Speedway. This win puts Reddick in second for the playoff standings.
The Kansas Speedway track is a paved, intermediate, tri-oval- shaped track, 1.5 miles long.
A restart took place towards the end of the race that turned things around for Reddick and R23XI racing, who were previously in second place behind the No. 11 Toyota Camry of Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin led 63 laps but lost the lead to Reddick after the restart came into play.
When asked what had happened to lose the lead on that final restart, Hamlin told NBC Sports, “Sleeping on the restart, looking in the rearview instead of looking in the front.”
Hamlin placed second in this race and is now third in the playoff standings.
Earlier in the race, No. 19 Bass Pro sponsored car of Martin Truex Jr. had radioed his crew about issues he could sense with his car. A little later on Lap 268 of the race, Truex Jr.’s front right tire blew out. The tire had no grip and sent Truex Jr. into the side of the turn 3 wall. This turn of events had Truex Jr. finishing the race dead last. Truex Jr. is 13th in the playoffs, right under the elimination line.
“Really unfortunate, very unlucky,” Truex Jr. described his early exit from the race to NBC Sports.
Last week’s winner, Kyle Larson, led the most laps of the race, won Stage 1 and finished the race fourth in his No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro. “We got kind [of] bit there,” Larson reported to NBC Sports. “Kind [of] took ourselves out of it.”.
Larson is the current race leader in playoffs and plans to move on from his fourth- place finish in Bristol next weekend.
“Take the positives from the day and then roll onto Bristol, a track that we run really well at, and try and put it all together,.” Larson and Hendrick Motorsports plan.
Erik Jones placed third in his No. 43 Allegiant Chevy, and good pace came from Jones throughout the race. Jones tells NBC Sports, “Probably the fastest car we’ve had all year.” This was the first top-five finish for Legacy MC.
Bubba Wallace, last year’s race winner, blew out his tire during the race. Smoke started to stem from the No. 23 Toyota Camry who was running in second place after almost winning out Stage 1. Wallace’s right rear tire went out after he had been complaining about the looseness of the tire previous to the accident. Wallace finished the race in 32nd and still hangs below that elimination line with a risk of being cut in round 1.
“I got loose. I got loose like 5 laps before…and then three or four laps later, it blew out, no indication going into [turn] 1. So I’m pissed at myself,” the 23XI racer proclaimed.
The playoffs now stand with Larson, Reddick and Hamlin currently leading the way in NASCAR playoffs. Truex Jr., Wallace, Ricky Steinhouse Jr. and Micheal Mcdowell are below the elimination line. Those 13-16 place holders need a better race this upcoming weekend in Bristol if they want to stay in the fight for round 2 of playoffs.
This weekend, NASCAR will drive in Bristol, Tennessee, for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. The race will begin at 4:30 p.m. EST on Saturday Sept. 16.
