Tyler Reddick qualified 17th for the Anduril 250, giving the NASCAR Cup Series points leader a mid-pack start for the weekend race at Naval Base Coronado. He entered the event with a 19-point edge over Denny Hamlin, a margin that had been trimmed even with Reddick holding the lead through the first 16 races of 2026.
Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin
Reddick’s 17th-place run in Saturday’s single-car qualifying session keeps the focus on track position as the season moves into its 17th points race. The Anduril 250 was set for the all-new Qualcomm Circuit street course, where one lap can separate clean air from traffic and turn qualifying into a real part of the race plan.
Hamlin starts 26th, which places the Joe Gibbs Racing driver farther back than the driver he is chasing in the standings. That gap on the grid gives Reddick a cleaner opening than his points margin might suggest, even though the championship fight remains tight at 19 points.
Qualcomm Circuit Street Course
Reddick also brings a road-course win in 2026 at Circuit of the Americas into the weekend, and that matters on a layout built to reward control more than raw speed. The new street course adds a layer of uncertainty because every position gained or lost early can shape how much pressure the leader faces before the race settles.
That pressure is built into the standings race itself. Reddick led after each of the first 16 races, but Hamlin’s three-race winning streak, which began in late May at Nashville Superspeedway, cut into the cushion and kept the battle close heading to Naval Base Coronado.
No. 45 Toyota Advantage
For Reddick, the practical task is straightforward: keep the No. 45 Toyota in front of Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota when the race unfolds on the Qualcomm Circuit. A 19-point lead is workable, but it is narrow enough that one bad stage or a tangled opening sequence can change the math fast.
The qualifying order also gives the race its first clear split. Reddick starts 17th, Hamlin 26th, and the championship leader leaves Saturday with a better launch position than the driver who has been making the standings race tighter for weeks.
