The 2024 NASCAR Playoffs roared into South Florida in late October with the traditional Miami–Homestead triple header, setting the stage for heart‑pounding drama and season‑making moments.
Weekend Overview: October 25–27
Homestead–Miami Speedway hosted three critical playoff races:
- Friday (Oct 25): Truck Series qualifying and practice wrapped up.
- Saturday (Oct 26): The Baptist Health 200 (Trucks) began at noon, followed by the Credit One AmEx 300 for Xfinity in the afternoon.
- Sunday (Oct 27): The spotlight shifted to the Cup Series with the Straight Talk Wireless 400 starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Track conditions were near-ideal: sunny skies, mild temps, and just a slight threat of rain on Saturday.
Truck & Xfinity Headlines
Baptist Health 200
Grant Enfinger seized victory with a savvy fuel mileage drive after Corey’s strong lead late in the race.
Credit One AmEx 300
Xfinity fans saw Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill dominate with 82 laps led, taking the win and punching his Championship 4 ticket.
Cup Race Spotlight – Straight Talk Wireless 400
Sunday’s showdown was the centerpiece: the Cut-4 finale to determine the Championship 4 contenders.
Key Moments
- Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) secured pole with a lap of 32.248 seconds.
- He led a race-high 97 laps, including a stage one win and late dominance.
- Final laps brought three different leaders from laps 258‑267.
Walk-Off Victory
Reddick executed a daring pass in turn 4 on the last lap, overtaking Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin to clinch the win and a spot in the Championship 4. Reddick described it as a “beast-mode” move.
Playoff Implications
This outcome resets the Round of 8 dramatically:
- Reddick joins the Championship 4 field alongside Logano, Blaney, and Hamlin.
- Kyle Larson faltered with a spin, dropping him seven points shy of advancing.
- Those final 14 minutes of green-flag pit stops and high-speed jumps upended several playoff hopes.
Weekend Takeaways
- Reddick’s last-lap pass: a career-defining moment, propelling him to his first Championship 4 appearance.
- 23XI Racing surge: co-owned by Michael Jordan, the team reaches its first-ever championship round.
- Wildcard performances across Truck and Xfinity: Enfinger and Hill locking down their respective title shots.
Homestead Legacy & Outlook
Historically, Homestead serves as a springboard to Cup Series champs—names like Stewart, Harvick, Busch, Johnson, Truex, and Logano previously triumphed there en route to season titles. This year, Tyler Reddick joins that esteemed group.
As Sunday, November 10 approaches at Phoenix Raceway, Reddick will line up alongside Hamlin, Blaney, and Logano, bidding for NASCAR’s biggest prize.