Tyler Reddick\u2019s Chicagoland setback has turned a once-commanding NASCAR regular-season lead into a live 23XI Racing pressure point.<\/p>\n
NASCAR confirmed Reddick went behind the wall during Stage 2 of Sunday\u2019s Cup race after fluid poured from the No. 45 Toyota, with a manufacturer spokesperson saying a splitter stay from another car punctured the radiator and oil cooler. The failure brought out a caution and left Reddick 30 laps down before he was classified 36th.<\/p>\n
Why Chicagoland Hit So Hard<\/p>\n
The result sharpened a slide that began after Reddick had led the Cup standings by 129 points following Watkins Glen. He lost the lead at Sonoma after a power-steering issue, had already been hurt by late tyre trouble at Naval Base Coronado and a Michigan crash, and has now absorbed another low-score finish at Chicagoland<\/a>.<\/p>\n The damage is not just mechanical. NASCAR\u2019s standings update after Race 19 shows Denny Hamlin<\/a> now leads by 44 points, after finishing third in a race won by Chase Briscoe. Hamlin told TNT Sports the No. 45 \u201ccontinues to bleed out\u201d through bad luck and mechanicals.<\/p>\n