By Roy J. Akers-www.skyviewsports.net
With a race devoid of many cautions, it was all about track position and good pit stops. Tyler Reddick wins the pole and he won both the first stage and weaved in and out of the race 8 times for 98 laps. This race had drama with playoff drivers taking the first seven spots. The finish is a classic. Read on as its worth a read.
The Pole Sitter and Race Champion
Tyler Reddick won the pole for this race and wins Stage One at Homestead. Reddick has won two races this year with 11 finishes in the top five and another eight in the top 20 and wants more and needs a win. He has only won two poles this season but he finds himself 6th in points in the Round of Eight with only four drivers advancing. TR won 17 of a possible 20 stage points in this Round of Eight contest. Even with the points won in the first two stages, Reddick only improved his position to 5th. Reddick gambles on a pit stop for fuel with 15 to go. Reddick was third until a lap to go and runs past both Hamlin and Ryan Blaney and punches his victory to Phoenix. Reddick explains the final lap. How did you pull it off? REDDICK: I don’t know (smiling). We were backed in a corner, man. We had no other choice. I know we were on tire deficit. Here at Homestead Miami Speedway, that’s a death sentence. I don’t care. We did what it took to win this race. We’re fighting for a championship.”
In the Mix 1- Kyle Larson
Even the best can get into the wall and at nearly 200 mph, Kyle Larson cut a tire in Stage One and had to drive nearly a lap to get into the pits costing him time and he cycled to the rear in 35th place. By early in the third stage, Larson slowly maneuvered himself to the Top five. Larson entered the race second in points, just seven behind Christopher Bell. Larson’s late surge put him in third place. Larson lost his car trying to split Austin Dillon and Ryan Blaney and nearly saves his machine before he rubbed the last of the traction off of his racing tires. Larson loses six spots in the pits on the last pit stop by most of the field.
Hamlin and Blaney were so close
Outstanding racing by Hamlin, Blaney and Reddick coming down the stretch. Hamline took the lead on the last restart of the race with eight to go until Blaney passed him with just over one to go. It looked like Reddick might not have the time to get back in the Blaney-Hamlin dual but Reddick hangs on. Hamlin really needed the win and so did Blaney. Hamlin led the race three times for 11 laps and perhaps it was his strategy to race in the top line that did him in. With Logano and Reddick taking two of the four spots to Phoenix, Denny sits in sixth place out of eight drivers but he is only 18 points out.
Winning at Miami is not lost on Ryan Blaney. He came into the race 7th out of eight drivers remaining to try and defend his 2023 NASCAR Championship. Blaney chased Reddick in the closing laps in second place. Reddick’s late pit stop propels Blaney to the lead with Hamlin somehow in second place. Blaney takes the low line to Hamlin’s run around the wall setting up a final five lap battle. The roll of the dice gave Blaney a second place finish but he is 38 points behind Christopher Bell, who leads all six drivers who have not earned their way to Phoenix with a win in the Round of Eight. Blaney won at Martinsville in 2023 to earn his own trip to Phoenix. He has three more top five finishes and has never finished out of the top 20 going back to 2021.
Ryan Blaney: YOU GOT OUT OF THE CAR SHAKING YOUR HEAD IN DISBELIEF, WHAT ARE YOU FEELING IN THIS MOMENT?
“Yeah, disappointment. I had a good shot to win it and I didn’t have a very good last lap. I thought I got into three hard and the 45 just went in there and it stuck for him, which is really impressive. I hate to give one away there like that. I don’t know if we gave it away. We got the lead back after losing it on the restart and just that last lap didn’t play out for us. I appreciate everybody on the 12 team for bringing a really fast race car. I had a really great shot to go to Phoenix and I still have one more chance, so we still have to look forward to that. I appreciate Menards and Ford and Ford Performance, Richmond, Advance Auto Parts, Body Armor, DEX Imaging and everybody. It is a shame. I will be thinking through it all night of what I should have done different, probably. That is just the way it goes but I am really proud of the effort and hopefully we can bring it to them next week.”
In the Mix 2
Denny Hamlin needed his Stage Two win. He has increasingly been pessimistic about his chances as the Playoffs have moved through the ten races. He entered the Miami-Homestead race 42 points behind Christopher Bell and 5th among the eighth drivers. Not sure if the dour attitude is a case of sandbagging or not liking how the tracks were laid out in the Cup playoffs. Hamlin lead the race twice for 16 laps. Hamlin, needing speed rubbed the wall with 24 laps to go. Later, Hamlin goes three wide with Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott and then puts them in his rear view with just 17 to go. Hamlin has a difference making pitstop and takes the lead on the restart with 8 to go. Blaney passes Hamlin with just over a lap to go. Reddick passed both Blaney and Hamlin for the win.
Win or go home Stats at Miami
Chase Elliott is eighth out of eight drivers going to Martinsville next weekend. He is 43 points out and has a MUST win to advance to the Championship four that will try to earn the2024 NASCAR championship. Elliott has not won recently at Martinsville, but he has two top five finishes and another three in the top-ten. For the Miami-Homestead race, Elliott finishes fifth. Playoff drivers all finished ahead of Chase. He talks to the press afterward. You led the most laps that you’ve ever led at Homestead-Miami Speedway. What did you need to battle for the win.. were you fighting tight conditions there at the end?
“I just got tighter and tighter as the day went on. I was just trying to manage that on the front side of a run, and ultimately I just didn’t do a great job of managing it. When the pace got quicker and everyone started pushing, I didn’t really have anything left to push. It was a really solid couple of weeks for the No. 9 NAPA Chevy team, from a pace perspective. That’s encouraging as you move along in the playoffs.”
4 Cautions on the Race
Roy J. Akers is a multi-media reporter and covers several sports for www.skyviewsports.net
