'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
While Tyler Reddick secured his first win of the season at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, it wasn't without a 'high-risk high-reward' strategy applied by manufacturers Toyota.
The race at Talladega proved to be a challenging affair for Toyota. Multiple drivers piloting the manufacturer's vehicles encountered crashes and struggled to contend for the lead.
Nevertheless, amidst the chaos that ensued in the final lap in Talladega following Michael McDowell's spin, it was 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick who stole the win with a margin of over 0.200 seconds. This was Toyota's fourth victory of the season after 10 races.
During an episode of the Dale Jr Download podcast following the race, eminent NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi shed light on the strategy that helped the Toyota driver into the victory lane. He revealed that Toyota teams had devised a plan to counter the fuel-saving tactics employed by Chevy and Ford teams. Bianchi explained:
"Before the race, the Toyota teams had this in their backpockets the strategy of 'listen, what we're going to do is try to jump them in Stage 3 by pitting early. And we're gonna wait until we're in our window, and then, stick together and run.'" (9:10)
According to Bianchi, Toyota's strategy relied on maintaining a faster pace on the track while conserving fuel, allowing them to capitalize on opportunities to gain positions. He added:
"They estimated that they could run 4 seconds faster than the other car on the tracks, enough time to get to the finish on fuel and run down those other cars who are going to probably have to pit."
Not pitting during caution was pivotal in Tyler Reddick's victory, believes Bianchi
According to Bianchi, there was one of the two ways that Toyota could've secured the lead. It was either by passing Chevy and Fords while they pit or getting over them in case of a caution.
"That's where the Reddick thing came in," he said. "When everybody pitted because of the caution, he stayed on the racetrack, he shot up towards the front, and that's what put him in the position to be there in the end."
The strategy compromised other Toyota cars, case in point the all-Toyota crash that took out Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, and Erik Jones. However, in the end, it was Tyler Reddick's No. 45 Toyota basking in the victory lane.
The victory in Talladega has shot Tyler Reddick up to fifth position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He has 316 points to his name after 10 races and is primed to be one of the drivers contending for the Cup Series championship at the business end of the season.
