Tyler Reddick has been flirting with Victory Lane all Summer in the NASCAR Cup Series, and finally, after several painstakingly close calls and nine top-eight finishes in the last 10 events, the No. 45 team has arrived.
The 23XI Racing driver was able to seal the deal in Monday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, making a power move in NASCAR Overtime to get the lead from William Byron.
With a two-plus second lead, Reddick looked poised to collect the victory with five laps remaining in the event, when Martin Truex, Jr. snapped loose and made significant contact with the outside wall.
Once the field went into NASCAR Overtime, there was a moment where Reddick lost control of the race, after Byron slipped inside in his No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro to get the lead.
A spin by Ross Chastain forced a second overtime restart, and in a move nearly identical to the one pulled on him minutes earlier, Reddick returned to the race lead and set sail from the pack behind.
“Just a great teammate, fantastic push by Ty Gibbs,” Reddick said when asked about the move on the final restart. “That’s what it’s all about. The Toyota family tries to take care of each other.”
The victory marked the seventh for Reddick in the NASCAR Cup Series, and his second of the year. Since his triumph at Talladega in April, the Corning, California native had recorded four podium finishes, but not returned to the winner’s circle.
Monday’s triumph is extra special for Reddick, whose long-time mentor and dirt late model legend Scott Bloomquist passed away on Friday in a plane crash near his home in Tennessee.
“It’s been a minute. It’s been really cool. I can’t help sit here in Victory Lane and think of Scott Bloomquist. Huge mentor to me, incredible role model, legend of dirt racing and motorsports,” said Reddick. “The last couple of days have been tough. This really helps it. This win should go for him, his family, and his friends. All that meant a lot for him.”
Admittedly in a bit of a slump, William Byron brought home a runner-up finish after driving a strong race throughout both Sunday and Monday. It’s the best finish for the No. 24 since Iowa in mid-June.
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff hopeful Ty Gibbs earned his sixth top-five finish of the season, bringing his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE home in third place.
RESULTS: 2024 NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan
After a two-tire strategy call on the final green-flag pit stop, Kyle Busch held on to a fourth-place run for Richard Childress Racing. It’s the first top-five result for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion since Dover in May.
RFK Racing teammates Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher came up short of defending the organization’s victory at Michigan International Speedway, finishing fifth and sixth.
Zane Smith recorded his second top-10 result of the season, finishing seventh at the two-mile speedway, while Daniel Suarez, Denny Hamlin, and Smith’s teammate at Spire Motorsports, Carson Hocevar, rounded out the top-10.
Hamlin was in contention to score the victory in the early portion of the event, which was run on Sunday before inclement weather pushed the final 149 laps to Monday, but spun on the frontstretch, causing slight underbody damage to his No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE.
Kyle Larson, who led a race-high 41 laps in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, finished a disappointing 34th, after breaking loose in traffic and causing a seven-car pileup.
In terms of volume, that was the biggest wreck of the afternoon, but on Lap 137, Corey LaJoie had a scary accident on the backstretch where his No. 7 Chevrolet went airborne, slid on its roof, and tumbled down in the turn three grass. LaJoie was able to climb from his car, and was checked and released from the infield care center.
The race featured seven caution flags, run out for 41 laps, as well as 26 lead changes among 16 drivers. The 26 lead changes match last year’s Michigan event, which was won by Chris Buescher.
Leaving Michigan, with a pair of events left in the regular season, Tyler Reddick holds a 10-point advantage over 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney round out the top five.
