Tyler Reddick wins at Homestead, giving Michael Jordan a chance at the NASCAR title

Michael Jordan won a title successful Phoenix successful 1993

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Michael Jordan won a title successful Phoenix successful 1993. Tyler Reddick ensured that his car proprietor will person a chance to triumph different title location this year.

Reddick went precocious and overtook Ryan Blaney connected nan last move to triumph astatine Homestead-Miami connected Sunday to unafraid a spot successful NASCAR's winner-take-all finale successful Arizona successful 2 weeks. Reddick led 98 of nan 267 laps, nan past of them nan 1 that mattered most.

“The small kid drove his ass off,” said Jordan, whose 1993 title — nan 3rd of six NBA titles pinch nan Chicago Bulls — came successful Phoenix against nan Suns. “I'm proud of him. ... He conscionable fto spell and he conscionable went for it. I'm glad. I'm glad. We needed it.”

Blaney was 2nd and Denny Hamlin — a part-owner of Reddick's car was third. Playoff drivers took nan apical six spots, pinch Christopher Bell fourth, Chase Elliott 5th and William Byron said.

Reddick and Joey Logano now are assured 2 of nan 4 spots successful NASCAR's last 4 astatine Phoenix.

Reddick became Homestead's ninth different victor successful nan past 9 years, joining Jimmie Johnson successful 2016, Martin Truex Jr. successful 2017, Logano successful 2018, Kyle Busch successful 2019, Hamlin successful 2020, Byron successful 2021, Kyle Larson successful 2022 and Bell past year.

Logano was nan only of nan 8 playoff drivers who came to Homestead assured of a berth successful nan play finale. He spent overmuch of nan time successful nan mediate of nan pack.

The different 7 playoff drivers each jousted toward nan beforehand for nan mostly of nan 267 laps. Hamlin led pinch 2 laps to go, Larson pinch 1 thigh left, and past Reddick astatine nan end.

The first incident happened conscionable astir 25 seconds into nan race, erstwhile Justin Haley steered down into nan beforehand extremity of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and sewage spun out.

No harm, nary foul. Even though virtually nan full section was crammed intimately together astatine that constituent since nan greenish emblem conscionable dropped, cipher dealt pinch immoderate existent damage.

Haley spun retired again successful Lap 186, bringing different be aware flag.

Since it first was portion of nan NASCAR circuit successful 1999 Homestead-Miami has almost ever played big to a autumn title — and galore times, nan play finale. The only exceptions were 2020 (June) and 2021 (February). But NASCAR will beryllium backmost connected March 23 adjacent year, and Homestead won't beryllium a playoff way for astatine slightest 1 season.

NASCAR moves to Martinsville adjacent Sunday for nan next-to-last title of nan season, 1 wherever nan remaining spots successful nan winner-take-all last 4 astatine Phoenix will beryllium decided. Blaney won nan autumn title astatine Martinsville past play and Byron won erstwhile NASCAR made its first of 2 visits successful 2024 location successful April.

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AP car racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing