On the most pivotal time of the season, the eight drivers left combating for the NASCAR Cup Collection Championship rose to the event Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Six of the eight postseason contenders mixed to steer 250 of the 267 laps in Sunday’s Straight Speak Wi-fi 400, the center race of the Spherical of 8. A race-high 97 of these circuits have been led by race winner Tyler Reddick. Ryan Blaney (47) and Chase Elliott (81) entered in must-win positions and mixed to steer practically 48% of all of the laps in Sunday’s 400-miler.
However ultimately, all the outlook of the 2024 Cup Collection Playoffs was upended in a matter of 14 consequential minutes on a late afternoon simply outdoors South Seaside. From Reddick’s last pit cease to the race’s last restart, go inside how the postseason image modified so rapidly at Homestead-Miami:
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All occasions Japanese.
5:31 p.m.
After stretching his gasoline provide to its bitter finish, Tyler Reddick hits pit street from the lead with 15 laps remaining to conclude Lap 252. The No. 45 Toyota of 23XI Racing was operating fifth, roughly 3.5 seconds behind then-leader Ryan Blaney when the ultimate spherical of green-flag pit stops started with 50 laps remaining. Crew chief Billy Scott decided staying out can be the group’s finest probability to leap-frog the opposite playoff drivers forward of them and rating the final word walk-off win.
“Man, mattress‘s made right here,” Scott radioed to Reddick. “Solely probability is to get a yellow someplace between right here and after we run out of fuel.”
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That warning didn’t come earlier than Reddick’s gasoline ran low and necessitated a visit to pit lane with 15 to go. Upon exiting pit street, Reddick merges onto the observe simply behind second-place-runner Kyle Larson however storms previous each Larson and Blaney off Flip 4 to stay on the lead lap.
Playoff impression: With 15 laps left and 4 contemporary tires, Reddick wanted one final warning — and quick — in any other case, the No. 45 group would have been far under the elimination line heading to Martinsville Speedway.
5:33 p.m.
Cue the important warning. In a fierce battle for the lead at Lap 255, Larson prices three-wide via the center of Blaney and the lapped automobile of Austin Dillon getting into Flip 3. Larson’s lunge upsets the dealing with of his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and via Turns 3 and 4. The 2021 Cup champion in the end misplaced only one place to Denny Hamlin via the method, however a yellow flag within the closing levels means a late-race restart is inbound.
Playoff impression: Both 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 factors above the elimination line. As a substitute, the yellow saves Reddick, who maintains his lead-lap place and may capitalize on those that should pit once more underneath the warning.
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5:36 p.m.
The final pit stops of the day show pivotal. Ryan Blaney maintains the lead off pit street and Hamlin secures second. Chase Elliott positive factors three spots to 3rd forward 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 highest 10, however misplaced a number of spots as a result of the group wanted to repair the diffuser flap beneath the rear of the automobile after it deployed mid-spin.
As a result of he simply pitted previous to the yellow flag, Reddick stays out to inherit the lead with simply two green-flag laps on his tires. Reddick chooses the highest lane for the restart with Blaney selecting the entrance row alongside him. Hamlin, Bowman, Bell and Hocevar line up behind Reddick; Elliott, Byron, Allmendinger and Larson behind Blaney.
Playoff impression: Reddick is all of the sudden thrust into the catbird seat and can management the restart after operating twenty fifth earlier than the yellow. Had Reddick been the primary automobile one lap right down to obtain the free go, he would have needed to restart within the rear as an alternative. Blaney, Hamlin and Elliott at the moment are on even footing with sights set on disposing of Reddick rapidly after the restart.
5:41 p.m.
The inexperienced flag flies at Lap 261 to set off seven laps remaining. Blaney seems to come across the restart, permitting Elliott to place Blaney three-wide for second with Hamlin up excessive. Via Turns 1 and a pair of, Hamlin rips the excessive line and momentarily goes four-wide with Reddick, Blaney and Elliott to take the lead down the backstretch.
Regardless of the frontstretch bobble, Blaney slots again to second place on the back-straight whereas Elliott prices to 3rd. With six to go, Blaney prices again to Hamlin’s left, making an attempt to retake the lead however to no avail. Reddick, nonetheless, makes use of the excessive line off Flip 2 to clear Elliott for third. Additional again, Larson fades out of the highest 10.
Playoff impression: Hamlin’s 22-race winless streak lastly has an finish in sight. After a irritating season from the midpoint ahead, Hamlin now leads within the late levels with an opportunity to lock his identify into the Championship 4 bracket for the primary 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 enormous launch off the excessive facet of Flip 2 to storm to Hamlin’s left down the again straightaway. The No. 12 Staff Penske Ford powers into Flip 3 utilizing the center groove and drifts excessive to defend towards Hamlin on exit, resulting in the white flag.
Playoff impression: The defending NASCAR Cup Collection champion now has his probability to cost again 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 factors beneath the elimination line with Reddick 18 factors out.
5:45 p.m.
White flag. Closing lap. Reddick dives to the underside of Turns 1 and a pair of and bolts previous Hamlin, co-owner of the very group Reddick races for. The three leaders take separate strains via the primary set of corners — Blaney center, Hamlin prime and Reddick backside. Reddick’s blast to the low line rockets him previous Hamlin, heading down the backstretch.
One set of corners left. Blaney opts for the center once more, identical to he did the lap prior on Hamlin. However this time, Reddick rips into the nook on the excessive line with much more velocity. Regardless of two extra laps on his tires, Reddick finds simply sufficient grip across the wall to soar previous 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 profession berth into the Championship 4. Regardless of top-five finishes for every, Hamlin, Blaney and Elliott go away Homestead beneath the elimination line. Hamlin is eighteen factors out, with Blaney down 38 markers and Elliott 43. Larson in the end finishes thirteenth — a minimum of 11 spots worse than he sat 12 minutes prior. As a substitute of leaving three factors above the elimination line, Larson exits seven factors 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 factors to the nice, with sixth-place finisher William Byron seven factors above.
