Tyler Riddick was less than a full lap away from the first NASCAR Series Cup win of his career on Sunday night when Chase Briscoe caused him to spin out. Many drivers would have been irate over the situation, but Riddick had a refreshing outlook after his second-place finish.
Riddick led 99 of 250 laps in what was the first ever dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Briscoe tried to slide past Riddick on the inside of turn three on the final lap, but he spun out and took Riddick’s car with him. That allowed NASCAR veteran Kyle Busch, who was in third at the time, to steal the win.
If Riddick was angry, he did not show it. He told FOX Sports after the race that he should have done a better job of not letting Briscoe get so close to him. Briscoe came over during the interview to apologize, and the two drivers had an awesome exchange.
Tyler Reddick reacts to the final lap … and Chase Briscoe apologizes. pic.twitter.com/8s9xMzrIY3
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 18, 2022
Briscoe also tweeted about the crash after the race. He said he appreciated Riddick being so understanding.
Last 10 laps was the hardest I’ve ever ran a car in my entire life. Tried throwing a slide job on the last corner and knew as soon as I went into the corner I was spinning out with how much speed I carried… hate that it got Tyler in the process. Appreciate Tyler’s understanding.
— Chase Briscoe (@chasebriscoe) April 18, 2022
The race was only the second Cup race on a dirt track. It was stopped multiple times due to rain, and many drivers did not seem to fully understand the rules. While the night was marred by confusion, Riddick would have loved to pick up his first career win. Rather than flipping out like we have seen other drivers do, he took responsibility for coming up just short. That is rare to see in racing.
