Repeat Reddick!

Tyler Reddick performs a burnout to celebrate his win in the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway! (Photo: Dirk Bizub/Racing America)

Autotrader 400:

Tyler Reddick rallied late to become the first repeat winner to start a season since Matt Kenseth in 2009. Reddick, scoring his second victory of the year in just the season's second week, overcame damage late and a missing fender to capture his first win at EchoPark Speedway. With Circuit of the Americas (COTA) coming up next week, a track Reddick has had success on, can he go 3-for-3 to start the 2026 campaign?

This new Atlanta delivered once again. I cannot speak highly enough of SMI and Marcus Smith for what they have turned Atlanta into over the last few years, and I am saying that as someone who loved the old Atlanta for its tire wear and strategies. But this new Atlanta is perfect. It's fast, action-packed, intense racing from green flag to checkered flag. It does not disappoint, and Sunday was another banger of a race for the Cup Series (and all series this weekend had great races). It reminds me of Daytona prior to the 2010/2011 repave. The track has bumps and characteristics that require drivers to manage the car's handling at full speed, rather than solely relying on the car's pure speed. We also saw attrition throughout the race, and while I hate seeing guys wreck out (and wreck out hard), adding that dimension of change to how the race is flowing only adds to the interest and excitement of a NASCAR race. And to top it off, the race was competitive all day. We saw comers and goers; we had 57 lead changes among 14 drivers (a track record); and some hardcore, fender-banging, no-love-lost battle for the win to the bitter end. It was, simply put, a 10/10, five-star NASCAR race. Something that, as a lifelong fan, I love to see. And through it all, Tyler Reddick came out victorious with a beaten and battered car. Great stuff for the second week in a row to start the 2026 NASCAR campaign.

Next up, we head in two different directions with NASCAR's top three national touring series. The Craftsman Truck Series heads to their inaugural race at the St. Petersburg Street Course for the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 on FS1 Saturday at 12 p.m. EST. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series joins the Cup Series at the Circut of the Americas (COTA) for the Focused Health 250 on The CW at 3 p.m. EST. The Cup Series caps off the weekend on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. EST on FOX for the DuraMAX Grand Prix.

St. Pete/COTA Picks:

Trucks = Gio Ruggiero

O'Reilly = Connor Zilisch

Cup = Shane Van Gisbergen