After a touch-and-go strategy call by crew chief Billy Scott, and an incredible run to the finish by driver Tyler Reddick, the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota Camry XSE is heading to the Championship 4.
During the final stage of Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400, Reddick was kept on the racetrack for nearly 80 laps, with the hopes of a caution flag being displayed and giving the 23XI Racing driver track position.
The caution did eventually come — as Kyle Larson spun trying to take the lead getting around the lapped car of Austin Dillon — except it came immediately after Reddick was called to pit road.
So, being cycled outside the top-15 with absolutely no opportunity to capture the victory, Billy Scott made a bold call — keeping the No. 45 on the track and taking over the lead, despite a tire deficit.
Despite having tires that were five laps older, the Corning, California native was able to keep himself in contention for the victory during a seven-lap run to the finish, fighting against the likes of Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin.
On the final lap, Reddick was sitting second-place on the backstretch after clearing 23XI Racing team owner Denny Hamlin in Turns 1 and 2, and somehow, made a lunge to the outside lane to power around the outside of the Blaney.
How did the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE manage to power around the outside in the final set of corners? Well, your guess is probably as good as Tyler Reddick’s:
“I don’t know,” Reddick said when asked how he made the move. “We were backed into a corner, man. We had no other choice. I know we were on tire deficit. Here at Homestead-Miami Speedway, that’s a death sentence. I don’t care. We did what it took to win this race. We’re fighting for a championship.”
The final lap of Sunday’s event saw Reddick post a time six-tenths of a second quicker than anybody in the field, a testament to how incredible that move around the outside truly was.
Ryan Blaney came up short, recording a runner-up result at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Unfortunately for the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, a poor result at Las Vegas leaves next weekend’s penultimate event of the season at Martinsville as a must-win.
Denny Hamlin came home in third place, with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell just behind him in fourth. 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott rounded out the top-five, after leading 81 laps, second only to race-winner Tyler Reddick.
William Byron rebounded from a poor qualifying effort of 25th to finish in sixth-place, continuing a streak of top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Alex Bowman finished seventh.
AJ Allmendinger recorded a solid eighth-place result for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet, while Rookie of The Year contender Carson Hocevar finished off an incredibly solid afternoon with a ninth-place result. Ryan Preece rounded out the top-10.
Leaving Homestead, the NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Martinsville Speedway for the penultimate event of the 2024 season.
With Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick locked into the Championship 4, there are only two positions still available by points. Christopher Bell (+29) and William Byron (+7) currently hold those two spots. Kyle Larson (-7), Denny Hamlin (-18), Ryan Blaney (-38), and Chase Elliott (-43) leave Homestead sitting below the cutline.
The XFINITY 500 at Martinsville Speedway will take place on Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 PM ET. Coverage of the event will be on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90), as the NASCAR Cup Series sets its Championship 4 in stone.
Photo: Matthew T. Thacker, LAT Images for Toyota