​LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE – SEPTEMBER 21: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 SiriusXM Toyota, and Alex Bowman, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2025 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) GettyA lengthy green-flag run came to an abrupt end during Stage 2 of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway after Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman made contact while attempting to enter pit road.NOT CLEAR! NOT CLEAR!The Nos. 45 and 48 make contact as @Alex_Bowman attempts to come to pit road. pic.twitter.com/UbCv68zgsG — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 20, 2026The incident unfolded as teams were cycling through green-flag pit stops. Bowman, driving the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, was moving down the track toward pit entry when he clipped the right-front of Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota.The contact immediately brought out the caution, interrupting the ongoing pit cycle and forcing teams to quickly adjust their strategy.Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, who initially reported that Reddick and Bowman had crashed entering pit road, later clarified the sequence of events.“Oh it was Bowman coming down the track and he hit Reddick.”Oh it was Bowman coming down the track and he hit Reddick. https://t.co/EHWCQyyBXo— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 20, 2026Multiple reporters at the track described the incident similarly, noting that Bowman was crossing the racing surface to make pit road while Reddick was alongside him.Tyler Reddick’s team reports no major damageAlthough the collision sparked immediate concern for the race leader, Reddick’s team quickly indicated they did not believe the No. 45 Toyota had sustained significant damage.PRN Radio’s Andrew Kurland reported there was “not much concern” inside the team’s pit box despite the contact.Team radio, however, suggested the impact was enough to affect the steering.Crew members were heard saying:“Hit the right front, Billy.”Moments later, another update followed:“Steering wheel is one o’clock, a full hour off.”Even so, the team continued to report they did not see any major damage from the contact.Caution shakes up Stage 2 strategyBecause the incident occurred in the middle of a green-flag pit cycle, the caution dramatically altered strategy throughout the field.Several teams had already committed to pit road while others were still on track when the yellow flag flew, creating an uneven cycle that could reshape the running order for the remainder of Stage 2.Daniel Suarez also narrowly avoided becoming part of the incident after making an aggressive move back onto the racing surface instead of continuing onto pit road as the accident unfolded ahead of him.With no significant damage initially reported for Reddick’s car, the attention quickly shifted from repairs to how the unexpected caution would impact the race’s strategic battle heading into the final