What could Ryan Blaney have done differently to stop Tyler Reddick on the last lap at Homestead? This has been the topic of discussion after Reddick almost barged his way into the Championship 4, pulling off a slingshot move. Fans were critical of Blaney for neglecting his rival’s strength and leaving the door open.

Not only that, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. questioned Blaney’s tactics that just might cost him a shot to defend his title. “I see that pass happening 9/10 times. I’m definitely expecting the car that Reddick’s driving to make that pass more often than not.” However, his teammate, Joey Logano, has now come out in his defense, stating that he would’ve used a similar tactic on the last lap to fend off Reddick.

Joey Logano shares his take on Blaney’s lane choice in Homestead

The mile-and-a-half racetrack in Miami is infamous for its top lane. Only skilled race car drivers push the limit in hugging the wall that allows them extra momentum on the corner exit. Now it was an open secret that both Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick are notorious for working their way into the top lane. But the dynamics completely flipped when the race became a three-way affair.

Blaney was able to get past Denny Hamlin after rolling down the bottom lane. He side-drafted him on the straightaway and got clear of him on the next corner. As the white flag dropped, Reddick pulled off a similar move and got past the 11 coming onto Turns 3 and 4. He just committed 100 percent and threaded the needle on the high lane. Before Blaney could process what happened, he saw the rear bumper of the #45 car taking the checkered flag.

According to Joey Logano, an element of surprise is what caught Blaney off guard, and there was hardly anything different he could’ve done. “It’s wild to think that’s how this one played out, but I don’t disagree with the way Blaney went into the corner of going to the 4th lane and being able to protect kind of from either. But the move that Reddick made was just it’s unstoppable. There is a lot of real estate you have to cover as the leader to defend.”

The theory here by Logano is that rolling in the middle lane, Ryan Blaney was in a good position to block either top or bottom lane runs. However, the #45 didn’t lift while coming onto the corner, and this is where Blaney lost the command of his lead. Even if he had tried to throw a desperate block, Reddick would have ducked down. It would either result in a crash or allow Hamlin to slip through.

Truth be told, even Tyler Reddick wasn’t sure how he pulled off that clutch moment. It was just a full commitment and it worked out in his favor.

Reddick tried to explain the split-second call that changed his NASCAR career

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The 2024 season has been a learning curve for the driver of the 45 Toyota Camry. He came agonizingly close to catching Kyle Larson for a win at Las Vegas, and he found himself in a similar position at Nashville. So, there have been plenty of moments where Reddick just wasn’t able to execute his final move for the win this year. But, in the clutch moment, with a spot to race for the championship on the line, it finally clicked for him. And this time his opponent didn’t have an answer to his offensive charge late in the race.

However, his last lap move was more of a leap of faith rather than a thought-out tactical move. “I just literally drove it in the corner until I knew I was going to be even with him on entry. Once I got there, I was like, I’ll figure it out. If I hit the wall whatever, you know get caught in the wall he wins the race, so be it. I knew that for me to have a shot at winning that race, I had to get even with him on corner entry.” He said this on the Dale Jr. Download.

Ryan Blaney has definitely got his work cut out for him after failing to convert a win last weekend at Homestead. Martinsville has been a good place for the Penske driver, but he will need to run a perfect race and round it off with a win to have a shot at defending his title.