In an instant classic finish, Tyler Reddick ripped the top side in turns 3 and 4 of the final lap to get by Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin and win the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
With the victory, Reddick clinches a spot in the Championship 4 for the first time in his Cup Series career. It is also the first Championship 4 appearance for 23XI Racing. Reddick was in a position to make that last lap pass due in large part to a bold strategy decision.
Billy Scott’s Hail Mary Call for No. 45 Team
The No. 45 team had a rough day on pit road for most of Sunday’s race. Due to Homestead’s older surface, four tires were a must for every pit stop, making execution and the finer details a priority.
As the polesitter, Reddick and the No. 45 team got to choose the first stall on pit road, which is normally considered an advantage. However, it proved to be the opposite as Reddick lost a combined eight spots across all yellow flag pit stops. Reddick experienced issues getting traction to properly accelerate out of the pit stall to the pit exit line, and it cost him vital track position multiple times.
On lap 219, William Byron became the first playoff driver to pit during the long green-flag run on the final stage. Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Blaney and Christopher Bell followed over the next couple of laps. Hamlin waited another eight laps before going to the service of this crew, replicating a strategy that led him to a stage two win.
Seeing the pit cycle and facing a likely must-win situation, Reddick’s crew chief Billy Scott went a different route. He kept Reddick out on the racetrack as long as possible, hoping to catch a caution to maintain the lead. Finally, Scott had no alternative but to call Reddick down pit road on lap 252 for tires and fuel.
It looked as if the pit strategy would not pay off for Reddick, Scott and the No. 45 team. But three laps later, they got a much-needed yellow flag when playoff foes Blaney and Larson got together, sending Larson spinning in turns 3 and 4.
This opened the door for Scott to make what proved to be a race-winning pit call, keeping Reddick on the racetrack while all of the other lead lap cars made pit stops. Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota only had a couple of green-flag laps on their tires, making staying out a possibility.
“We were backed into a corner,” Reddick told NBC Sports post-race about the pit strategy. “We had no other…
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