Tyler Reddick has won the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway after a late-race restart changed the course of the day.
The 28-year-old looked to be down and out after a risky strategy didn’t pay off, but following a spin from Kyle Larson, he got another chance.
The #45 restarted a few rows back and navigated past his boss Denny Hamlin as the white flag was flown, before overtaking Ryan Blaney on the final corner of the last lap.
Reddick said: “We were backed into a corner there, we had no other choice [but to go for it]!
“We had a tyre 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.
“I knew I needed to get him on his right-side door, I didn’t care what he did but he raced me clean and I appreciate that.
“We’re just really excited to get a shot at this championship!”
The #45 also won Stage One, attempting to recoup some of the points losses he had previously suffered, and ran high in the top five throughout the second period.
23XI’s main driver entered this race in a problematic predicament points-wise, but his consistent pace resembled that of his regular-season form.
His playoff performance up to now had been subpar, but his title hopes are rejuvenated as he has stamped his ticket to the season finale.
Drivers below the cutline under pressure
After Joey Logano’s victory at Las Vegas, it left four title contenders in a difficult situation quite far outside the first quartet of championship positions.
Now Reddick has advanced from otherwise being below the cutline, it puts several drivers in severe jeopardy heading to Martinsville.
His Toyota counterpart and boss Hamlin took the top position in Stage Two, having previously said that he was surprised to still be in the hunt.
Going into the race in Florida, the 43-year-old was pessimistic about his recent performances and indicated there needed to be improvement.
He said: “I certainly think we’re not leading laps, that’s definitely an indicator of our speed.
“Some of it is the schedule and we’ve had three of these typical ovals in a row, it just feels like forever.
“It’s not the best time to not be on our A-game, myself included, but the good news is we still have a chance this late in the game.”
After he finished third behind Reddick and Blaney, Hamlin’s prospects are slightly up, but he still sits 18 points below the cutoff heading into Martinsville.
The veteran has had measurable success at the Speedway, claiming victory there three times, although the most recent of those came in 2010.
He will need to hope for a high finish or a win for himself and poor results for those above him in the standings to advance to the final four.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott meanwhile led 81 laps of the event in his quest for more points, fighting with Hamlin towards the end of the second stage.
He retained this leverage towards the end, continuing to maintain position while those behind him squabbled.
The most popular driver lost his way in the closing stages though. Eventually falling to fifth place, the third lowest of those outside the top four in points.
Elliott currently sits 43 points below where he needs to be to advance to Phoenix, having won at the upcoming half-mile venue in 2020.
His teammate Kyle Larson suffered a puncture early on which hampered his race, but after dropping to 35th he recovered well.
At the start of the final third of the event, the #5 sat in fifth place after making his way back through the pack.
The 32-year-old was below the cutline all day but closed as he gained spots, before advancing to second and catching first place.
Despite this, a spin with 12 laps remaining when he tried to overtake the leader Blaney and the lapped Austin Dillon dropped him to tenth
He fell to 13th on the restart, diluting an otherwise fantastic day on his behalf as he now sits seven points below the cutoff to advance to the championship finale.
Unlike Hamlin, Larson has never won at the upcoming Martinsville, but a smaller deficit should be easier to recoup at the tight track
The quartet of competitors who enter the next race at Martinsville with ground to make up will be doing so in a treacherous time capsule.
Tempers should flare on the flat half-mile venue, and those with nothing to lose will risk everything to secure their place in the championship four.
Playoff standings heading into Martinsville
- Tyler Reddick 1 WIN (ADV)
- Joey Logano 1 WIN (ADV)
- Christopher Bell +29
- William Byron +7
——————-CUTOFF——————–
- Kyle Larson -7
- Denny Hamlin -18
- Ryan Blaney -38
- Chase Elliott -43
