The second race of the penultimate NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 this season saw a thrilling finish as drivers tried to win their way into the championship hunt this year.
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The latest heat came in from Homestead-Miami Speedway which saw a three-way last-lap battle between reigning champion Ryan Blaney and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, with regular-season champion Tyler Reddick lurking in the shadows.
While Blaney managed to defend his position from the JGR driver after taking the white flag, both drivers fell short when Reddick drove past the duo in a spectacular move on the outside, making hay while almost riding the wall at the 1.5-mile-long facility.
The finish prompted 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan to go all out and express his elation with his driver as Reddick summed up his feelings after getting out of his car.
The wholesome moment between the two sportspersons was caught on camera with Jordan congratulating the #45 Toyota driver on what was an unprecedented move on the last lap, especially given Reddick and the #45 crew’s tire deficit to his rivals.
“I don’t know. We had no other choice. I know we’re on tire deficit and here at Homestead that’s death sentence but I don’t care. We’re fighting for a championship,” exclaimed Reddick as the adrenaline wore off, seconds before Jordan ran into the frame screaming, “Yeah baby! Yeah! Good job kid, man good job!”
“It’d mean the world”
Elaborating on the gravity of what it would mean for Tyler Reddick to compete for a Cup Series championship, especially driving for one of the biggest global sporting icons ever, the 28-year-old driver added, “It’d mean the world. We thankfully can take off from Martinsville a little bit and get ready for Phoenix but we’re pumped.”
With one more race during the Round of 8 to go, the #45 crew’s focus will clearly be preparing as much as possible for the season finale instead of trying to win their way into the Final 4.
With two spots still up for grabs for the championship-deciding race, it remains to be seen which drivers can challenge Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Reddick in the last race of the 2024 season.
