Tyler Reddick made a last-lap charge to pass Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win his way into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 for the first time.
The 23XI Racing driver went around the outside of Blaney at the final corner to ensure the team owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan will be able to fight for the title in Phoenix.
"Little kid drove his ass off," said Jordan in the immediate aftermath.
"We were backed into a corner," added Reddick, pointing to the fact he was on older tyres than his rivals in the closing stages. "We had no other choice. I know we were on a tyre deficit and here at Homestead, that's a death sentence. But I don't care. We did what it took to win this race. We're fighting for a championship."
Blaney finished second and Hamlin third with both now facing a likely must-win situation in the penultimate race at Martinsville.
Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott followed as playoff drivers locked out the top six - William Byron right behind Elliott.
Watch: Tyler Reddick: 'No other choice' after Homestead win
The finish was initially set up to be a showdown between Blaney and Kyle Larson, who had recovered from an early cut tyre to challenge for the win, with Reddick having pitted from the lead with 15 laps to go. He had run long while hoping for a caution that never came.
But as the leaders were navigating slower traffic two laps later, Larson pulled alongside Blaney and the two drivers made contact. Larson spun sideways to trigger a caution, setting up a final sprint to the finish.
The race restarted with eight laps left, with Blaney aggressively blocking Elliott, allowing Hamlin to jump from fourth to the lead. Blaney fought back and dived below the #11 to retake the ascendency.
But Reddick was lurking right behind them as the white flag flew. He threw his car to the low-line into Turn 1, clearing his boss in the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Blaney chose the middle of the track entering Turn 3 but this time, Reddick went high, rocketing past the defending Cup Series champion and crossing the line 0.241s ahead.
Reddick joins Joey Logano as the only two drivers locked into the Championship 4. Christopher Bell is 29 points clear as the next provisional title fighter with William Byron seven points back. Larson, Hamlin, Blaney and Elliott are all in the elimination zone.
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Source: Autosport