Tyler Reddick made a last-lap cost to move Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win his approach into the NASCAR Cup Collection Championship 4 for the primary time.
The 23XI Racing driver went across the outdoors of Blaney on the remaining nook to make sure the workforce owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan will be capable of combat for the title in Phoenix.
“Little child drove his ass off,” stated Jordan within the speedy aftermath.
“We had been backed right into a nook,” added Reddick, pointing to the very fact he was on older tyres than his rivals within the closing phases. “We had no different selection. I do know we had been on a tyre deficit and right here at Homestead, that is a loss of life sentence. However I do not care. We did what it took to win this race. We’re combating for a championship.”
Blaney completed second and Hamlin third with each now going through a probable must-win state of affairs within the penultimate race at Martinsville.
Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott adopted as playoff drivers locked out the highest six – William Byron proper behind Elliott.
Watch: Tyler Reddick: ‘No different selection’ after Homestead win
The end was initially set as much as be a showdown between Blaney and Kyle Larson, who had recovered from an early minimize tyre to problem for the win, with Reddick having pitted from the lead with 15 laps to go. He had run lengthy whereas hoping for a warning that by no means got here.
However because the leaders had been navigating slower visitors two laps later, Larson pulled alongside Blaney and the 2 drivers made contact. Larson spun sideways to set off a warning, organising a remaining dash to the end.
The race restarted with eight laps left, with Blaney aggressively blocking Elliott, permitting Hamlin to leap from fourth to the lead. Blaney fought again and dived beneath the #11 to retake the ascendency.
However Reddick was lurking proper behind them because the white flag flew. He threw his automotive to the low-line into Flip 1, clearing his boss within the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Blaney selected the center of the monitor coming into Flip 3 however this time, Reddick went excessive, rocketing previous the defending Cup Collection champion and crossing the road 0.241s forward.
Reddick joins Joey Logano as the one two drivers locked into the Championship 4. Christopher Bell is 29 factors clear as the following provisional title fighter with William Byron seven factors again. Larson, Hamlin, Blaney and Elliott are all within the elimination zone.