By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
In this season’s final edition of Flashback Friday, Kickin’ The Tires relives when NASCAR driver Tyler Reddick won the Ford EcoBoost 300 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17, 2018 for JR Motorsports.
Jr Motorsports driver Tyler Reddick started his 2018 Xfinity Series season with a win in the season opener PowerShares QQQ 300 from the famed Daytona International Speedway and closed it out with a victory as well as a championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Reddick was a long shot to win the championship when compared to fellow competitors Christopher Bell and Cole Custer.
Throughout Saturday’s event Reddick was one of the only Xfinity Series drivers that liked running the top lane right near the wall but in the end that decision paid off for the young driver as he captured the win and the Xfinity Series title in his No. 9 BurgerFi Chevrolet.
“I just knew we had to execute. I thought we had a chance if we just made it to Homestead, it rewards my aggression,” said Reddick.
“We hit the wall a lot, but the car kept in one piece, enough for me to get to the end. It was an up and down year. We did everything we had to do in the playoffs, and we wound up with the championship.
The Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway would be Reddick’s final race for JR Motorsports as he’d make the move to Richard Childress Racing for the 2019 season.
With Reddick winning the championship it marked the second consecutive championship for JR Motorsports and their third in the last five years.
Career Update:
Tyler Reddick made the move to Richard Childress Racing for the 2019 season with the California native seeing a multitude of success.
Heading into the season finale Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Reddick has found victory lane five times in his No. 2 Chevrolet.
Furthermore, Reddick has amassed 23 top-fives, 26 top-tens , earned four pole awards, led for 484 laps in Xfinity Series competition and will have the chance to defend his championship title on Saturday as part of the Championship 4 at Homestead.