Reddick's Rollover Rebound

Straight Talk Wireless 400:

Tyler Reddick stole the win Sunday afternoon from Ryan Blaney in the last turn on the last lap of the Straight Talk Wireless 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway. Reddick, who had been a top car all day, had different strategy at the end of the race which appeared to set him up to fall short of the victory - that is until turns 3 and 4 on the final lap. Reddick, who I had all but counted out at this point, drove his car deep into turn 3, packed it right up against the wall, and drove past Blaney who was on fresher tires. I was amazed as I listened to the radio call that it worked, and more surprised when I finally got to see a video of the finish a short while later. It was the equivalent of a Hail Mary touchdown to go to the Super Bowl. Days later, I am still amazed that Reddick's masterful driving paid off and locked up his appearance in the Championship 4 in Phoenix.

Now, the race as a whole was spectacular. Homestead, to me, always delivers exceptional racing. And it did again on Sunday afternoon. From the drop of the green flag, you could see the aggression in drivers jockeying for position. Especially the drivers below the playoff cutline. They knew from the get go that had to get a move on and get to the front. A lackluster day, and for some a second in this round, puts them in a very uncomfortable and must win spot this upcoming weekend at Martinsville Speedway. As such, we saw the best of the best rise to the occasion. 7 of 8 playoff drivers (excluding Logano who was just chillin' already locked into the title race) were in the top 7 at one point, all raced in or damn close to the top 5 all day, and you could have convinced me that pretty much those 7 could have one if the dominoes fall a certain way towards the end. Either way, we had good racing all day. Homestead-Miami showed off as the premier 1.5-track with an aged surface, multiple groove racing, and attrition throughout runs and the race as a whole. And then we were gifted a late race caution that only added to the greatness of the race and delivered a truly thrilling finish without being some chaotic cluster.

When the race went into overtime and I saw that Reddick had stayed out, I immediately thought it was going to a miracle for him to stay in the top-10. He had played a different strategy earlier and was stuck on older tires. And he had Hamlin, Blaney, ChElliott, and a few other folks on fresh tires and running on desperation to punch their ticket to the championship four at Phoenix. Now, Reddick had the desperation factor, too, but again, older tires. Didn't think he'd have a shot and Reddick, while aggressive, was likely to not do anything egregiously stupid to try and win that could also run a high risk of wrecking multiple other playoff contenders in front of the pack. And when the green flag flew it appeared I was right. Hamlin and Blaney fired off, took the lead, and the trophy was about to have one of their names on it. That is until Reddick roared off turn 4 coming to the white flag, ran a perfect turns 1 and 2, and delivered one of the greatest passes for the win I have seen recently. As he followed Blaney into turn 3, I knew he was going to leave it all on the track, but figured Blaney with fresh tires would be able to hold him off. Alas, I was wrong and Reddick charged off of turn 4 to the checkered flag and into the Championship 4.

Once again, Homestead-Miami delivered as it has in this role for several years and for many years as the title race. It's a true shame that, especially with this car and how it races on 1.5-mile tracks, that it's not the title race and not even in the playoffs next year. My hope is that it returns to its rightful place as the championship race in 2026. Speaking from personal experience of having visiting Homestead-Miami in 2017: it's a great track with a great vibe that delivers great racing. Sure, it may be a little old and need some updating. But if the title race is all about proving who is the best of the four contenders and delivering exceptional racing, then Homestead-Miami is where the title should be.

But now we turn our attention Martinsville Speedway and the cutoff race for all three national touring series. Martinsville has been action packed and entertaining as the cutoff race for years and I see it being no different this year. The Craftsman Truck Series kicks off the weekend on Friday evening at 6 p.m. EST on FS1 with the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200. The Xfinity Series follows them up on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST on The CW with the National Debt Relief 250. And the Cup Series caps off the weekend on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. EST on NBC with the Xfinity 500.

Martinsville Picks:

Truck = Majeski

Xfinity = Allgaier

Cup = Hamlin

Header Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images