Tyler Reddick, driver of 23XI Racing, faced a complicated situation during the NASCAR Cup race at Chicagoland. On lap 132 of 267, as the race approached the midpoint and amid the pit stop phase of the second stage, his vehicle suddenly slowed down, leaving a trail of liquid behind.
“I have a problem!” Reddick urgently communicated via radio. “I have water or something everywhere. I’m losing water pressure. I can’t see anything. Nick [Payne, his spotter], help me, I can’t see.”
The Toyota no. 45 of 23XI Racing managed to reach the pit lane, with water and oil spilling down the side of the car. Both the radiator and the oil cooler had holes where some object had passed through, but what caused this damage?
As the onboard camera was reviewed, a team member was holding what appeared to be a reinforcement for the rear diffuser, a component that helps keep everything connected. A social media user, Tanner Marlar, captured an image of this object, which may be the cause of the damage.
About 40 laps earlier, there was a yellow flag due to a spin by Kyle Larson, who dragged his diffuser across the ground. When Reddick entered Turn 1, it’s possible that the object came from the affected car no. 5 of Hendrick Motorsports.
As the damage was considered a mechanical issue and not the result of an incident, NASCAR allowed the team of car no. 45 to make repairs. In circumstances where the radiator is punctured due to a collision, teams are not allowed to replace it and the race would be over for them.
Reddick lost about 30 laps in the garage, returning to the race and finishing in 36th position. The former championship leader, who had finished in the top 15 in each of the first 14 races of the 2026 season, has now placed 25th or worse in three of the last four races.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
