For all the talk about NASCAR’s playoff format, one thing has become impossible to ignore in 2026: Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick are putting together a points battle for the ages.
Week after week, the two 23XI Racing teammates have separated themselves from the field. Hamlin has piled up victories, including a recent three-race winning streak, while Reddick has countered with relentless consistency and stage-point accumulation. The result is a championship fight that feels more like the classic NASCAR seasons of old than the modern playoff era.
What’s remarkable is that both drivers are accomplishing it under the same roof. On one side is Hamlin, the veteran chasing the elusive championship that has escaped him throughout a Hall of Fame career. On the other is Reddick, the superstar in his prime looking to establish himself as the sport’s next dominant force.
Meanwhile, Toyota continues to unload with race-winning speed nearly every weekend, allowing both drivers to maximize points and pressure the rest of the garage.
The numbers are becoming absurd. Wins, stage points, top fives and laps led continue to stack up for both contenders, creating a gap that few competitors have been able to close.
Whether the playoff system ultimately rewards them is another discussion entirely. But if NASCAR still crowned its champion based on a season-long points format, fans would be witnessing one of the greatest championship duels of the modern era.
Hamlin versus Reddick.
Veteran versus protégé.
A championship-caliber battle happening every single week.
And somehow, they’re doing it as teammates.
