Tyler Reddick Admits “It Means the World” to Beat Shane van Gisbergen for Milestone Win at COTA

No:45 racer Tyler Reddick is over the moon after winning the CPTA Cup race, beating the road course master Shane van Gisbergen.

Tyler Reddick Admits “It Means the World” to Beat Shane van Gisbergen for Milestone Win at COTA

Tyler Reddick wins at COTA (Via @23XIRacing/X)

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick created NASCAR history on Sunday at Austin, winning the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne. He held of a strong run from Trackhouse Racing’s road course racing expert Shane van Gisbergen to secure his third straight win of the 2026 season, making him the first racer in the Cup history to win first three races of the season.

Tyler Reddick had a strong car, just like at Daytona and Atalanta, which he took full advantage on the victory lane. It was a tense battle at the end of for the NO:45 Toyota racer with Shane van Gisbergen cashing him down. He had to make sure there was no mistake from him on the last laps, as the Kiwi is capable of taking advantage even minute mistakes at road courses.  

Yeah, just trying to remember everything that I knew was going to be important there at the end and just tried to minimize the mistakes. Shane is just, that’s what he’s so good at. He does not make mistakes. I certainly made a couple and just doing everything I could to just manage the gap and just stay away from him, you know what I mean? If I let him get close enough it was going to be hard to hold him off.

Tyler Reddick said via the FOX broadcast (via on3.com).

If Tyler Reddick wanted to beat anyone to make history in a road course racing event, it was Shane van Gisbergen. Hence the victor and the milestone mean the world for him. He really cherished the win by holding of the three times Supercars champion.

It means the world. Yeah, you know it’s so fitting. We get going at the end there and I’m leading and there’s SVG, the guy I’ve been trying to beat for a while now. And just to be able to outlast him there and hold on for the win is just, it’s incredible.

Tyler Reddick added.

Since, SVG starting making Cup outings with Trackhouse Racing Reddick has been having a tough time, he was one of the RC experts in the series. He wanted to reward the 23XI team for years of hard work they put in to their non-oval pogrom and doing it in 2026 to create history was the best way to do it.

Just really proud of this Chumba Casino Toyota Camry and 23XI. We worked really hard. We did not like getting beat like that at road courses. It’s one race, but it was so important. So, fitting that we were able to get three in a row and make history.

Tyler Reddick asserted.

Kurt Busch is a proud mentor after Tyler Reddick’s historical win

Tyler Reddick was scouted from RCR to race for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan in 2023, replacing Kurt Busch who had to retire due to injury. Since then, the 2004 Cup champion has been serving as a mentor for the No:45 TRD driver.

Kurt Busch and Tyler Reddick (Cr
Kurt Busch and Tyler Reddick (Credits: Insider.com)

He was really proud to see the two times second division champion delivering on the trust put on hi by securing the milestone three-peat. Busch shared a video on social media where he is seen parsing the racer and 23XI team for the moment.

I couldn’t be more proud of you, Tyler, the team, 23XI — oh my God, Denny [Hamlin], you knew he was gonna be the guy. MJ [Michael Jordan], Billy Scott, the whole program — I’m so proud of you guys. That is history. Three wins.

Kurt Busch said via a video shared on X.

The whole TRD garage will be excited for the driver as well, as he is surely expanding the Toyota legacy in the sport just like his boss Denny Hamlin. It would be interesting to see if Reddick will be the driver that will deliver the OEM their first championship since 2019.

Also Read: Michael Jordan Names Denny Hamlin as the “Mastermind Behind” Tyler Reddick’s NASCAR Domination