With a last-lap move in turn 4, Tyler Reddick won Sunday’s (Oct. 27) NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, beating Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin to the line in a thrilling finish.
Hamlin went to the race lead after an incredible move on the race’s final restart with 7 laps to go but was passed by Blaney with 2 to go.
Ultimately, a glimpse of the top lane was all Reddick needed to make the winning pass in turns 3 and 4 and punch his ticket to the Championship 4.
“We were backed into a corner, we had no other choice,” Reddick told NBC. “We did what it took to win this race.”
“I knew I had to get even with [Blaney] on his right-side door. I didn’t care what he did. He raced me clean; I appreciate it. Just really excited we’re going to get a chance to win this championship.”
A heartbroken Blaney came up just short of punching his ticket to a second consecutive Championship 4 appearance.
“It’s obvious disappointment,” Blaney told NBC. “Had a great shot to win, didn’t have a very good last lap. I thought I got into [turn] 3 hard, and the No. 45 blitzed in there hard and it stuck for him, which is pretty impressive.
“Hate to give one away there like that.”
Blaney had to settle for second, while Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five. William Byron finished sixth, while Alex Bowman was the best-finishing non-playoff driver in seventh. AJ Allmendinger, Carson Hocevar and Ryan Preece completed the top 10.
The action was hot from the drop of the green flag, as contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sent Justin Haley around entering turn 3 on the first lap of the race. Haley avoided making contact with his fellow competitors and was able to continue.
Bell, Larson and Reddick battled for the lead on the lap 6 restart, with Reddick eventually clearing Bell to keep the top spot. A series of aggressive moves from Larson helped him get around Bell for second on lap 12.
Byron was a big mover early, as in the first 17 laps he went from the 25th starting spot to 14th. Blaney also put on a show early in stage one, gaining 11 spots over the first 30 laps.
Byron started green flag pit stops on lap 34, with Reddick, Blaney, Hamlin, Elliott and a host of other drivers coming down pit road. Larson and Bubba Wallace pitted on the next lap, as did Bell and Bowman.
The pit cycle ended up putting Elliott in front of both Reddick and Larson, cycling the No. 9 to the lead after the rest of the field ran long and made their stops.
On lap 47, Larson blew a right-rear tire, sending him into the wall and bringing out the second caution of the race. Fortunately for Larson, the damage wasn’t too severe.
Much of the field came opted to pit during the caution period, with Elliott winning the race off pit road. Kyle Busch and Joey Logano stayed out under caution, but were quickly passed for the lead by Wallace on the lap 54 restart. Reddick took the lead from his teammate on lap 56.
Reddick won stage one, with Elliott, Blaney, Bell, Hamlin and Byron as the other playoff drivers to earn stage points.
After the field pitted under caution, Blaney won the race off pit road. Chris Buescher went for a spin as he attempted to pit, with Stenhouse making contact with Buescher’s No. 17 on pit road. A slow stop for Reddick relegated the No. 45 to sixth for the restart.
An aggressive three-wide move by Elliott put the No. 9 out in front of Wallace on lap 88, with Blaney initially falling back to fifth on the restart.
A spirited battle of tire strategy ensued in the closing laps of stage two, with Hamlin clearing Elliott for the lead on lap 161. Hamlin went on to win the stage with eight-lap fresher tires, while Elliott, Bell, Reddick, Blaney and Byron were the other playoff drivers to earn stage points.
Elliott and Bell led the field off pit road after a round of pit stops during the caution period.
After a tight battle on the restart, Elliott cleared Bell for the lead on lap 174. However, Blaney soon challenged Elliott for the top spot, taking it back on lap 175. The restart also saw Larson work his way back into the top 10 for the first time since his flat tire on lap 47. Elliott regained the top spot on lap 177.
By lap 184, Larson made his way back into the top five after passing Hamlin. Another spin by the No. 7 of Justin Haley brought out the caution flag on lap 187.
The field pitted for fresh tires and fuel under the caution flag, with Blaney beating Elliott off of pit road for the lead.
Blaney cleared Elliott for the lead on the restart, with Elliott getting around Bell for second.
Byron became the first playoff driver to pit with 48 laps to go, with Elliott and Larson hitting the pits with 47 to go. Blaney pitted with 47 to go from the race lead, with Bell following.
Elliott cycled to the lead around Blaney, though Blaney stayed ahead of Larson after coming off pit road. Blaney took the provisional lead back with 44 laps to go, extending his gap back to Elliott.
Hamlin pitted with 39 laps to go, with Reddick staying out to assume the race lead. Reddick pitted with 16 laps to go, finally completing the pit cycle.
With 13 laps to go, Larson pushed a little too hard entering turn 3 while battling Blaney for the top spot, spinning from second place and sliding down the racetrack.
Reddick stayed out, with Blaney winning the race off of pit road. But even though Hamlin got the best of everyone on the restart and Blaney was able to get by him with one to go, Reddick saved his best for the very last corner of the race.
NASCAR Cup Series Results from Homestead
The Cup Series will head to Martinsville Speedway on Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. ET for the final race of the Round of 8. After Martinsville, the Championship 4 field will be set. NBC will provide coverage for the race.
A member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Samuel also covers NASCAR for Yardbarker, Field Level Media, and Heavy Sports. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025.