NASCAR
Tyler Reddick Wins The Xfinity Series Championship
The NASCAR Xfinity Series season starts in February and wraps up after 33 races in November. For Tyler Reddick, the first and the last race was all he needed to be a champion. Reddick started the season as a rookie in the #9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, and became victorious in just his first race. The race went down as the closest finish in NASCAR National Series history. The win also made Tyler Reddick a lock for the Xfinity Series playoffs.
Though the season had its many ups and downs, Reddick and the team never lost hope. Going into the race in Miami, you could even say Reddick was the underdog, despite the team winning a championship one year before with driver William Byron. On the initial start of the race, Reddick really held his own and stayed around the top 5. As they entered Stage 2, the team seemed to have fallen off a bit, finishing in 8th. After a pit stop and an adjustment, the team was able to rally back to being in contention. The 9 moved all the way up to 3rd at this time.
On lap 143, the 9 came down pit road for the final time as the pit window opened. The strategy call put Reddick into the lead after green-flag stops cycled out. Reddick then was able to pull away from his main competitor, Cole Custer, and claim the championship.
Other Championship Contenders
During the race with only 2 cautions, both for stage breaks, 3 out of 4 Playoff contenders led laps. The only 1 not to lead was the 4th-place finisher, Daniel Hemric. Hemric never seemed to have the car capable of contending for the title.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell finished last among the playoff drivers. But the disappointing result wasn’t from a lack of trying. The rookie seemed to be unable to successfully run the top line, which was essential in the race. Strategy following the final set of pit stops put Bell in the top spot, but it wasn’t long before he was passed by Reddick. Bell finished the event in 11th, 1 lap down after contact with the wall late in the race.
Cole Custer came into Miami as the favorite to win both the championship and the race. Just last season he was able to completely dominate in Homestead, claiming his first Xfinity Series win and leading 182 laps. Early on in this weekend’s race, it became obvious he didn’t have dominating speed. After winning the pole and leading 95 laps however, he was still the man to beat. During the final string of pit stops the 00 team stayed out longer than the other playoff competitors. This became a call that cost Custer the lead and the title. With Reddick taking the top spot, Custer wasn’t able to run the wall well enough to catch him. Custer still finished in the 2nd spot for both the race and the Playoffs.
Looking Ahead to 2019
As the 2018 Xfinity Series season now comes to a close, the question becomes who can win the 2019 title? Could it be Custer finally breaking through as a NASCAR champion? Or maybe Tyler Reddick backing up what he did with a brand new team at Richard Childress Racing? How about Christopher Bell, who won 7 times in his rookie season? No matter the outcome, it all starts at Daytona in February.
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