Reddick wins tooth and nail fight at Homestead to advance to Cup Series Championship 4 | RACER

By Kelly Crandall October 27, 2024 6:41 PM

By Kelly Crandall | October 27, 2024 6:41 PM ET

Tyler Reddick is headed to the Championship 4 to compete for the NASCAR Cup Series championship after a third-to-first last lap drive to win Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Reddick wrapped the bottom around Turns 1 and 2 and completed a pass on boss Denny Hamlin for second position on corner exit on the white flag lap. The 23XI Racing driver then drove around the outside of leader Ryan Blaney to make the winning pass through Turns 3 and 4. The victory capped off a day where Reddick started from the pole, won the first stage, and led a race high 97 laps.

TYLER REDDICK PASSES RYAN BLANEY IN THE FINAL CORNER!

HE WINS AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI AND IS GOING TO THE NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP! pic.twitter.com/GtgwGyY6jb

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 27, 2024

It is the first time Reddick will compete for the Cup Series championship.

“We were backed in a corner, man; we had no other choice,” Reddick said. “I know we were on a tire deficit, and here at Homestead that’s a death sentence, but I don’t care. We did what it took to win this race [and] we’re fighting for a championship.”

Blaney finished second and Hamlin, who won the second stage, finished third. Hamlin was leading with two laps to go before Blaney took the top spot in Turns 3 and 4 coming to the white flag.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Reddick said of the winning pass on Blaney. “I just knew I needed to get even with him on his right-side door; I didn’t care what he did. He raced me clean. I appreciate it. I’m really, really excited that we’re going to have a shot at this championship.”

The run to the finish was seven laps after a caution for a Kyle Larson spin. Larson was racing Blaney for the lead when he spun trying to squeeze in the middle of Blaney and Austin Dillon in Turn 3.

Reddick stayed on track and inherited the race lead having run long on the previous fuel run. Blaney led Hamlin and Chase Elliott off pit road.

“Billy [Scott] made a call that looked a little scary because we were going to run out of gas,” 23XI co-owner Michel Jordan said of the pit strategy. “We knew we needed a caution at the end and anything can happen after that. As you can see, Denny was up there, and the little kid drove his [butt] off. I’m proud of him.

“He just let go, he just went for it, and I’m glad. We needed it.”

On the final restart, Hamlin took the lead by going to the top in Turns 1 and 2. He drove around Reddick and Elliott, who restarted on the front row. Blaney and Reddick settled into second and third place before the frantic run to the finish.

“It’s obvious disappointment,” Blaney said. “I had a great shot to win and I didn’t have a very good last lap. Man, I thought I got into [Turn] 3 hard and [Reddick] just blitzed it off in there and it stuck for him, which is pretty impressive. I hate we gave one away there like that. I don’t know if we gave it away; we got the lead back after losing it on the restart and the last lap just didn’t really play out for us.

“It definitely stinks. I appreciate everybody on the [No.] 12 team for bringing a really fast race car. We had a great shot to go to Phoenix, and still got one more chance, so we still have to look forward to that.”

Christopher Bell finished fourth and Elliott completed the top five. William Byron finished sixth; Alex Bowman, seventh; AJ Allmendinger, eighth and Carson Hocevar, ninth. Ryan Preece rounded out the top 10.

Larson finished 13th. He was scored third after his spin but lost six spots on pit road when his Hendrick Motorsports team had to knock a diffuser flap back in place. The spin was the second incident of the day for him, after hitting the wall on lap 48 because of a flat right rear tire.

Joey Logano was the lowest finishing playoff driver in 28th position, but he’s under no pressure after clinching his spot in the championship race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

There were 33 lead changes among 11 drivers in Sunday’s Straight Talk Wire 400, plus six caution flags.

The four drivers out of a transfer spot going into the final elimination race at Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 3, 2 p.m. ET) are Larson, Hamlin, Blaney, and Elliott. Larson is at a seven-point deficit while Hamlin is behind 18 points, Blaney is behind 38, and Elliott the furthest behind at 43 points.

RESULTS

23XI Racing, Homestead, Tyler Reddick, Cup Series, NASCAR