Sometimes being penalized isn’t a bad thing – just ask Tyler Reddick.
A penalty under the final caution of the American Ethanol e15 225 dropped Reddick (@TylerReddick) from second place but gave him the opportunity to top off his fuel tank before the final 55 lap run to the finish, allowing the driver of the Stoney Creek Records Ford F-150 to make it to the checkered flag and score a second place finish.
Heavy rain postponed the race from Friday night to Saturday morning. Qualifying for the race was also washed out, giving Reddick the fourth place starting position per the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rulebook.
Reddick started up front and ran there during the early stages of the race. He was fourth at the time of the second caution on lap 32 and pitted one lap later for four tires and adjustments.
Tyler restarted second when the race went green on lap 36 and he settled into third position during much of the following green flag run. Reddick was up to second place at the time of the third and final caution on lap 83. He pitted for four tires and adjustments on lap 84 and returned to the track in second place but that was short lived.
On lap 93 NASCAR sent the young driver to the pits to check for a possible oil leak. No fluid was found and one lap later Reddick pitted again to top off the fuel tank. He restarted 11th when the race went green on lap 95.
Over the final 55 laps Tyler stretched his fuel mileage while many of his competitors were forced to pit for fuel. He aggressively sliced his way through traffic, climbing into the top 10 by lap 106. Tyler was up to eighth by lap 128 and 10 laps later he was sixth. By lap 143 Reddick was fifth and by lap 146 he was third. On lap 148 Tyler was second place but couldn’t get any closer to the front.
Reddick grabbed his ninth top five this season and climbed up to second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings, 10 points behind the leader. Tyler claimed his second top five in his second start at Chicagoland.
BKR PR
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