NASCAR Cup: Tyler Reddick Loses Points Lead After Issues at Sonoma

SONOMA, Cali. -- For the first time in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Tyler Reddick isn't the points leader.

Reddick lost the points lead after power steering issues caused him to finish 36th (last), four laps down.

After Reddick pitted before the end of the first stage, he reported issues to the team.

"Something doesn't feel quite right. It isn't responsive with the steering. It feels like power steering. It's like something's off all of a sudden," he said before elevating his concerns, saying, "It's getting really bad, Billy [Scott, crew chief], I don't know."

Reddick held on until the first stage break on lap 25 when he pitted. After his team opened the hood on his pink No. 45 Pala Casino Toyota to address the issue, he went a lap down but had to come back again as the repairs didn't work.

Round two of repairs saw Reddick lose another five laps. However, they didn't need to go to the garage, which allowed him to later earn a bonus point for running the fastest lap of the race.

That effort and an issue for Denny Hamlin allowed Reddick to stay within one point of Hamlin.

Hamlin was running inside the top-10 for the first 63 of 110 laps. Then, on the final restart, Carson Hocevar bumped into Hamlin and sent him spinning.

Hamlin finished 26th on the lead lap, advancing in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge over Ty Dillon who finished 35th, one lap down, with power steering issues.

Hamlin is the first driver besides Reddick to lead the Cup points standings this season. Entering Sonoma, Reddick had an eight-pointe lead over Hamlin after being 129 points ahead just five points races before. Hamlin won three races in a row in that stretch, including at Michigan International Speedway where Hamlin won while Reddick crashed out. 

Reddick was expected to gain points on Hamlin on the two trips to the lefts and rights. However, a blown tire while running second in Coronado and power steering issues at Sonoma put him behind Hamlin.

Next week is Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5-mile intermediate track where Hamlin and Reddick have both run well this season. Each driver has one win on a 1.5-mile track, with Hamlin winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Reddick winning at Kansas Speedway.