Tyler Reddick passed Kyle Larson in NASCAR overtime to win the Cup Series’ AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway for his fifth win in nine races on Sunday afternoon in Kansas City, Kan.
After Cody Ware spun as leader Denny Hamlin and second-place Reddick were coming to the white flag for the race’s first caution for cause, the field pitted for a green-white-checker finish in overtime.
From third, Larson charged past Hamlin on the restart, but Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota flew by Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet in Turn 1 after the white flag. He held on to beat the Hendrick Motorsports driver by 0.118 seconds for his 13th career victory.
Reddick became the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win five of a season’s first nine races.
Chase Briscoe, Hamlin and Bubba Wallace completed the first five finishers.
Polesitter Reddick, Hamlin and Briscoe showed Toyota supremacy early on with the first two drivers swapping the lead, and Hamlin stormed away to a 1.25-second lead 15 circuits into the 267-lap race.
Hamlin lapped up to the 21st-place car — Todd Gilliland — as drivers such as Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain were all put a lap down. Larson was able to pass Reddick, but Hamlin claimed the 80-lap Stage 1 over Larson’s No. 5, followed by Reddick, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell.
In the second segment, Larson began to assert himself, immediately snatching the point from Hamlin and leading until Lap 125 when he, Hamlin, Elliott and Reddick pitted to split Stage 2’s 85 laps.
The completion of the second stage also was rather tame, and Larson again claimed the segment followed by Hamlin, Reddick, Chase Elliot and Bell as the only problems were drivers having minor setbacks with tire issues.
The only cautions through the first two stages were for stage-breaks, not incidents.
On Lap 175 shortly after the restart for the run to the race’s end, Bell maneuvered by Hamlin for the lead, and Wallace and Reddick rounded out a four-car Camry train with six of the top nine being Toyotas.
Running third to leader Bell and Reddick, Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Briscoe began the cycle of pits with 52 laps remaining to set up the finish, while Reddick and Bell waited five more circuits for service.
