Reddick's Qualifying Turnaround

Tyler Reddick will start from the pole for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, rebounding from a practice session he described as deeply frustrating. The 23XI Racing driver posted a lap of 29.054 seconds (131.094 mph) in his No. 45 Toyota to edge Josh Berry by 0.015 seconds for the top starting spot.

Reddick was only 31st fastest in practice earlier Saturday, but his team, led by crew chief Billy Scott, made adjustments that transformed the car's qualifying performance. "Oh man, I was really unhappy," Reddick said, as reported by the Associated Press and others. "I can't recall a practice where I've complained like that. But we just figured out what we need to work on."

Sports Illustrated added that Reddick felt the car had grip in shorter runs during practice but never got a clean lap in clear air. "The short run didn't seem really that bad. We didn't have the lap, but the grip seemed there. So, I kind of committed," he explained. The gamble paid off: Reddick earned his fifth pole of the season, though the Associated Press and TSN note it's his first since April at Kansas Speedway.

A Season of Extremes

Reddick's season has been marked by dramatic swings. He won five of the first nine races, including the Daytona 500, building a 129-point lead in the standings. But a six-race stretch with four finishes of 30th or worse dropped him to fourth in points, according to the Associated Press and TSN.

The slump prompted a visit to 23XI Racing's shop last week from Michael Jordan, who co-owns the team with Denny Hamlin. Crew chief Billy Scott told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio that Jordan spoke about adversity in his own career, as reported by Essentially Sports. Reddick responded with an 11th-place finish at Richmond, where he led seven laps despite starting 32nd.

At New Hampshire, Reddick made clear he wanted to avoid another deep starting spot. "I don't want to do like we did at Richmond and start in the 30s," he said after qualifying, according to Essentially Sports. "Had a little bit better metric this time around, so just had to commit and just really proud of this team."

Berry's Strong Showing and Future

Josh Berry qualified a career-best second, continuing a recent surge. The Wood Brothers Racing driver has recorded three consecutive top-10 finishes and is competing for a ride next season, as the team will move Jesse Love into the No. 21 Ford in 2027, per the Associated Press and TSN. "We're fighting hard," Berry said. "I need to make the most of it."

William Byron qualified third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Shane van Gisbergen. Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Alex Bowman rounded out the top ten, according to Sports Illustrated. Hamlin enters the race as the Cup Series points leader, a claim carried by Sports Illustrated.

Weather and Wet-Tire Complications

The race at the 1.058-mile oval is facing significant weather challenges. All cars are starting on Goodyear's wet-weather tires — a lightly treaded damp/intermediate compound rather than a full rain tire, according to Heavy., citing Goodyear's tire notes. Teams have four sets available, and NASCAR controls when switches can occur. The green flag was initially held back due to heavy rain, and Carson Hocevar spun during a pace lap, leading NASCAR to pull the field off track.

NASCAR has set an adverse-conditions cutoff of 6:05 p.m. ET; if the race isn't finished by then, it will end with two laps to go. The start was moved up an hour to 2:10 p.m. to maximize daylight, as reported by Heavy.

Pit Road Incidents in Stage 1

During Stage 1, several pit-road incidents unfolded. Christopher Bell's two-tire stop went awry when tire changer Blake Houston was dragged out of the pit box and took a tumble, as reported by Essentially Sports. Bell asked on team radio, "Is he OK?" and was told Houston was "a little shook up, but he's alright." NASCAR penalized Bell for a safety violation, and he returned to pit road, per Dustin Long's penalty report on X, as cited by Essentially Sports. Bell, who finished second in Stage 1 and has seven runner-up finishes in 2026, saw his track position compromised.

William Byron also faced a penalty after his crew left a wedge wrench attached to the back window of his No. 24 Chevy, forcing him back to pit road. Byron had finished fourth in Stage 1 before the penalty, according to Essentially Sports.

The race is underway with Reddick leading the field, though weather and pit-road issues could yet shape the outcome.