Dodge Boys Nazcar Racing

[Eli's Gone]

Ware was running last----six laps down on tires that had 60+ laps on them---and had hit the outside wall a few laps prior to his spin----

To be sure, it takes consummate skill and excellent equipment to win five of the first nine races in a NASCAR Cup Series season. After all, no other driver had accomplished that feat since NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt won six of the first nine events in 1987.

It took an 11th-hour twist of fate, however, for Reddick to win the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Enter Cody Ware. In the closing laps, as Reddick was chasing Denny Hamlin, who co-owns the 23XI Racing cars Reddick drives, Ware was trying to nurse his No. 51 Chevrolet to the finish line on tires that were more than 60 laps old—well beyond their useful life at Kansas.

Ware already had scraped the outside wall, but he soldiered on as Reddick caught and passed Hamlin for the lead on Lap 258 and held the top spot for seven laps.