On probably the most pivotal time of the season, the eight drivers left combating for the NASCAR Cup Assortment Championship rose to the occasion Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Six of the eight postseason contenders blended to steer 250 of the 267 laps in Sunday’s Straight Communicate Wi-fi 400, the middle race of the Spherical of 8. A race-high 97 of those circuits have been led by race winner Tyler Reddick. Ryan Blaney (47) and Chase Elliott (81) entered in must-win positions and blended to steer virtually 48% of the entire laps in Sunday’s 400-miler.
Nonetheless finally, all of the outlook of the 2024 Cup Assortment Playoffs was upended in a matter of 14 consequential minutes on a late afternoon merely open air South Seaside. From Reddick’s final pit stop to the race’s final restart, go inside how the postseason picture modified so quickly at Homestead-Miami:
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All events Japanese.
5:31 p.m.
After stretching his gasoline present to its bitter end, Tyler Reddick hits pit avenue from the lead with 15 laps remaining to conclude Lap 252. The No. 45 Toyota of 23XI Racing was working fifth, roughly 3.5 seconds behind then-leader Ryan Blaney when the last word spherical of green-flag pit stops began with 50 laps remaining. Crew chief Billy Scott determined staying out might be the group’s best likelihood to leap-frog the other playoff drivers ahead of them and ranking the ultimate phrase walk-off win.
“Man, mattress‘s made proper right here,” Scott radioed to Reddick. “Solely likelihood is to get a yellow someplace between proper right here and after we run out of gas.”
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That warning didn’t come sooner than Reddick’s gasoline ran low and necessitated a go to to pit lane with 15 to go. Upon exiting pit avenue, Reddick merges onto the observe merely behind second-place-runner Kyle Larson nonetheless storms earlier every Larson and Blaney off Flip 4 to remain on the lead lap.
Playoff impression: With 15 laps left and 4 modern tires, Reddick needed one ultimate warning — and fast — in every other case, the No. 45 group would have been far beneath the elimination line heading to Martinsville Speedway.
5:33 p.m.
Cue the essential warning. In a fierce battle for the lead at Lap 255, Larson costs three-wide through the middle of Blaney and the lapped car of Austin Dillon stepping into Flip 3. Larson’s lunge upsets the coping with of his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and through Turns 3 and 4. The 2021 Cup champion in the long run misplaced just one place to Denny Hamlin through the tactic, nonetheless a yellow flag inside the closing ranges means a late-race restart is inbound.
Playoff impression: Each Blaney or Larson appeared destined to lock themselves into the Championship 4 with a victory if the warning hadn’t come out. On the time of warning, Larson sat three components above the elimination line. Instead, the yellow saves Reddick, who maintains his lead-lap place and should capitalize on those who ought to pit as soon as extra beneath the warning.
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5:36 p.m.
The ultimate pit stops of the day present pivotal. Ryan Blaney maintains the lead off pit avenue and Hamlin secures second. Chase Elliott optimistic components three spots to third ahead of Alex Bowman (gained 4 spots), William Byron (even), Christopher Bell (misplaced two), AJ Allmendinger (even), Carson Hocevar (gained two), Kyle Larson (misplaced six) and Chase Briscoe (gained three). Larson pits with the leaders and restarts inside the best 10, nonetheless misplaced quite a few spots on account of the group needed to restore the diffuser flap beneath the rear of the auto after it deployed mid-spin.
On account of he merely pitted earlier to the yellow flag, Reddick stays out to inherit the lead with merely two green-flag laps on his tires. Reddick chooses the best lane for the restart with Blaney deciding on the doorway row alongside him. Hamlin, Bowman, Bell and Hocevar line up behind Reddick; Elliott, Byron, Allmendinger and Larson behind Blaney.
Playoff impression: Reddick is the entire sudden thrust into the catbird seat and might administration the restart after working twenty fifth sooner than the yellow. Had Reddick been the first car one lap proper all the way down to get hold of the free go, he would have wanted to restart inside the rear in its place. Blaney, Hamlin and Elliott for the time being are on even footing with sights set on disposing of Reddick quickly after the restart.
5:41 p.m.
The inexperienced flag flies at Lap 261 to set off seven laps remaining. Blaney appears to return throughout the restart, allowing Elliott to position Blaney three-wide for second with Hamlin up extreme. Through Turns 1 and a pair of, Hamlin rips the extreme line and momentarily goes four-wide with Reddick, Blaney and Elliott to take the lead down the backstretch.
Whatever the frontstretch bobble, Blaney slots once more to second place on the back-straight whereas Elliott costs to third. With six to go, Blaney costs once more to Hamlin’s left, attempting to retake the lead nonetheless to no avail. Reddick, nonetheless, makes use of the extreme line off Flip 2 to clear Elliott for third. Extra once more, Larson fades out of the best 10.
Playoff impression: Hamlin’s 22-race winless streak lastly has an end in sight. After a irritating season from the midpoint forward, Hamlin now leads inside the late ranges with a possibility to lock his establish into the Championship 4 bracket for the first time since 2021. Blaney, Reddick and Elliott all sit beneath the elimination line as Hamlin leads.
5:44 p.m.
With two laps left remaining, Blaney makes use of an unlimited launch off the extreme side of Flip 2 to storm to Hamlin’s left down the once more straightaway. The No. 12 Employees Penske Ford powers into Flip 3 using the middle groove and drifts extreme to defend in direction of Hamlin on exit, ensuing within the white flag.
Playoff impression: The defending NASCAR Cup Assortment champion now has his likelihood to value once more into the Championship 4 with 1.5 miles left in entrance of him. With Blaney out entrance, Hamlin second and Reddick third, Hamlin drops to 17 components beneath the elimination line with Reddick 18 components out.
5:45 p.m.
White flag. Closing lap. Reddick dives to the underside of Turns 1 and a pair of and bolts earlier Hamlin, co-owner of the very group Reddick races for. The three leaders take separate strains through the first set of corners — Blaney heart, Hamlin prime and Reddick bottom. Reddick’s blast to the low line rockets him earlier Hamlin, heading down the backstretch.
One set of corners left. Blaney opts for the middle as soon as extra, equivalent to he did the lap prior on Hamlin. Nonetheless this time, Reddick rips into the nook on the extreme line with far more velocity. No matter two additional laps on his tires, Reddick finds merely enough grip throughout the wall to soar earlier Blaney. The checkered flag waves. Reddick is the winner over Blaney, Hamlin, Bell and Elliott.
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Playoff impression: Tyler Reddick collects his sixth win in two seasons for 23XI Racing and his first career berth into the Championship 4. No matter top-five finishes for each, Hamlin, Blaney and Elliott go away Homestead beneath the elimination line. Hamlin is eighteen components out, with Blaney down 38 markers and Elliott 43. Larson in the long run finishes thirteenth — a minimal of 11 spots worse than he sat 12 minutes prior. Instead of leaving three components above the elimination line, Larson exits seven components beneath it heading to Martinsville. With Reddick and Las Vegas winner Joey Logano locked into the Championship 4, Sunday’s fourth-place finisher Bell sits 29 components to the good, with sixth-place finisher William Byron seven components above.
