Tyler Reddick grabbed his first win of the NASCAR playoffs at the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The No. 45 23XI Racing driver passed NASCAR Playoffs rival Ryan Blaney on the top lane at turn three on the final lap to secure his third win of the 2024 Cup Series season.
Reddick thought he should not have been able to pass Blaney on the outside of the Homestead course, but the 28-year-old seized the opportunity and claimed the win.
Denny Hamlin came home third close behind the top two, while Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and William Byron locked out an all-playoff driver top six.
Tyler Reddick says not needing to worry about Martinsville gives him a ‘huge advantage’
Reddick’s win means he automatically qualifies for the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. The 23XI driver joins Joey Logano in the final four after he won the race at Las Vegas.
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The final race of the Round of Eight takes place at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, which will present a challenging and, according to Reddick, ‘stressful’ race when he sat down with Kevin Harvick on his Happy Hour Podcast to discuss his Homestead win.
But thankfully for Reddick, he does not have to worry about Martinsville as he has already secured his spot in the final four, which gives him a ‘huge advantage’ over his playoff rivals.
“Martinsville last year was so incredibly stressful,” he said. “I think, even back to my Xfinity days, when you go into Phoenix when it was the cut-off for the Round of 8, that is just a very, very stressful race.
“I mean it feels like you lose years of your life thinking about points, trying to step ahead of one or two cars, and so not to have to worry about that at all and just solely focus on Phoenix, it’s going to be a huge advantage.”
Who is at risk of elimination from the NASCAR playoffs?
With Reddick and Logano qualified for the Championship Race, the cut-off point in the playoffs is now held by William Byron, who is in second in the standings.
For Elliott and Blaney, Martinsville will be a must-win race otherwise their playoff campaign will most likely come to an end. Hamlin is also in serious danger of elimination, with him being 18 points behind Byron.
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Kyle Larson is seven points back in third and is at risk of being eliminated despite winning 10 races this season; the most of any other driver in 2024.
Points leader Bell has a 22-point advantage over Byron heading into Martinsville, putting him in a good position to secure his spot in the Championship Race.
With so much at stake at Martinsville, there is bound to be some aggressive moves and racing as the playoff drivers fight to give themselves a chance of winning the Cup Series title.