Tyler Reddick Wins the Firekeeper 400 at Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn,Michigan (August 19th 2024)-Tyler Reddick has been flirting with Victory Lane all Summer in the NASCAR Cup Series. Finally, after several painstakingly close calls that has included nine top-ten finishes in the last 10 events and 2 attempts of NASCAR’s version of Overtime on Monday, the No.45 team reached the checkered flag first, claiming their second victory of 2024 season.
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 regulation to get the lead from William Byron. With a two-plus second lead, Reddick looked poised to collect the victory with less than five laps remaining in the event, until Martin Truex snapped loose on the backstretch, making significant contact with the outside wall.
Once the track was cleared the field went into the first attempt at NASCAR Overtime with Reddick almost giving the race away as Byron slipped under the 45 inside in his No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro to get the lead. A spin by Ross Chastain going into turn three brought out the Yellow flag once again, forcing another Overtime attempt.
As the Green flagged waved for what would be the final time, Reddick and Byron battled side by side through turns one and two. In an inside-out move nearly identical to the one pulled on him minutes earlier, Reddick moved past Byron retaking the lead, setting sail for the finish with the pack in his rear view. William Byron kept it interesting on the last lap, dropping down to the apron coming out of turn four,but coming up 0.168 seconds short as Reddick crossed the stripe first, picking up his second win of the 2024 season.
When asked about that power move that put him back in front for the last time during the post-race interview Reddick said “Just a great teammate, fantastic push by Ty Gibbs.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, until today.
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.
With two races remaining until the Chase after the Firekeepers 400, there was a lot at stake for NASCAR Cup Series Playoff hopefuls. Ty Gibbs earned his sixth top-five finish of the season, bringing his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE home in third place.Kyle Busch,needing a win this late in the season to keep his year after year win streak alive and to also make the Playoffs, 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 and Michigan native Carson Hocevar, rounded out the top-10.
Polesitter 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 a spin on the front stretch, caused underbody damage to his No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE that couldn’t be looked at by his team until the track went yellow before the race resumed. Hamlin’s race recovery moves him into third place, 28 points back and Larson has dropped to fourth place, 32 points behind Reddick with only two races remaining to decide who will earn the regular-season title and receive that all-important 15-point playoff bonus.
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 that collected 2023 Michigan winner Buescher, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Todd Gilliland.
Although Larson, Bell, Logano and Gilliland’s cars were sidelined, Buescher’s Mustang was able to continue with an assortment of challenges. His team called him in for two new tires on the final caution period and he was able to race back to that sixth-place finish. 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 while battling for a position inside the top-20 after he made contact with the left rear of Noah Gragson’s No. 10 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.The Spire Motorsports driver car landed on its roof sliding down the backstretch, finally tumbling 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 two races 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 in points.