One week after winning the DAYTONA 500, Tyler Reddick proved it was no fluke.

Reddick followed up his season opening victory with a dramatic double overtime win Sunday night in the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway. In doing so, he became the first driver in nearly 20 years to win the first two NASCAR Cup Series races of the season. The last to accomplish that feat was Matt Kenseth in 2009.

This win may have been even more impressive than the first.

Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing was heavily damaged on the right front after being caught in a nine car accident with about 40 laps remaining in regulation. With temperatures dropping to 39 degrees by the checkered flag, repairs were difficult. The team covered the wounded front end with heavy tape just to keep the car competitive.

It did not look like a winning car. It looked finished.

Instead, Reddick drove it to Victory Lane.

On the final lap of the second overtime restart, Reddick made a bold move to the bottom of the track. His teammate Bubba Wallace had taken the lead on the restart and was running the high lane. Chase Briscoe gave Reddick a key push from behind, helping him surge ahead of Wallace and the rest of the pack. Reddick crossed the line just .164 seconds ahead of Briscoe.

Behind them, Ross Chastain, Carson Hocevar, and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top five.

When Reddick climbed from his battered Toyota Camry, he grabbed the checkered flag and stared at the damage on the right front corner. He smiled as if he could not believe what had just happened.

“This place puts on some amazing racing,” Reddick shouted to the crowd. He admitted that handling matters at Atlanta, but on this night, determination mattered more.

The race itself was wild from start to finish. There were 57 lead changes among 14 drivers. The top 12 cars finished within one second of the winner. Nine different drivers led double digit laps, showing just how competitive the field was.

Wallace led 46 laps and looked poised to win before slipping back to eighth in the final scramble. Hocevar made an aggressive move late in regulation, passing three cars in one daring run to the front. However, contact with Christopher Bell during the first overtime restart brought out the final caution and reset the field one more time.

On the last restart, Wallace and Hocevar shared the front row. Wallace jumped ahead early, but when he drifted high, Reddick shot underneath and never looked back.

Team co owner Michael Jordan praised both drivers afterward. He said he felt for Wallace, who had an incredible day, but was thrilled for Reddick and proud of the entire organization. Jordan called it a reward for the hard work the team has put in.

With the victory, Reddick now leads Wallace by 40 points in the championship standings. The momentum clearly belongs to 23XI Racing as the series heads to the road course at Circuit of the Americas next week.

For now, though, the story is simple. Two races. Two wins. And a damaged race car that refused to quit.