By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – In the most dramatic Playoff race of the 2024 season – featuring three different leaders in the final three laps – 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick made a clutch pass out of Turn 4 on the last lap to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday when it counted most.
Reddick passed his team owner, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin with two laps to go then moved high up against the wall to pass Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in the final corner to claim the Straight Talk Wireless 400 trophy and secure a position in the Championship Four in two weeks in the Phoenix Raceway season finale.
His team owner, NBA Legend Michael Jordan raised his arms and cheered loudly from pit lane as Reddick celebrated on the frontstretch after the race, “Little kid [Reddick] drove his ass off and I’m proud of him,” exclaimed Jordan. “He didn’t let go, he just went for it and we needed it. We needed it.”
After getting a huge hug from Jordan, Reddick – the Regular Season Champion – was all smiles, proud of his move and his 23XI Racing No. 45 Toyota team – which put him out front for a race best 97 of the 267 laps – and ultimately handed him the chance at the win after a late race caution flag forced a restart with only seven laps remaining. It marks his eighth career series’ win and third of the season.
“I don’t know, we were backed in a corner and had no other choice – I knew we were on a tire deficit and here at Homestead that’s a death sentence, but I didn’t care,” Reddick said of moving back into the lead after being passed in a four-wide move on the re-start only to work his way back to the point in the final six laps.
Because he had just pit for tires four laps before that final caution flag, Reddick actually was positioned on the front row for that re-start – the only driver who stayed out during that final pit cycle because he had just pit for fresh tires four laps earlier. He restarted on the front row alongside Blaney but was fourth a lap later in the frenzied final run.
“We did what it took to win this race and we’re fighting for a championship,” said the 28-year-old Californian, who became only the second driver in 22 years to win at Homestead from pole position.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he added of the pass “I just knew I needed to get even with him on his right side door and he raced me clean and I…
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