Larson seemed to have a strong hold on the lead as the final 60 laps approached, but Reddick made a daring move diving to the inside in Turn 3. Despite a brief tangle with Alex Bowman, which momentarily made the field three-wide, Reddick managed to secure the lead. His surge was particularly impressive, considering he was outside the top five as they approached the white flag.
In a thrilling finish, Reddick held off Chase Elliott by a mere 0.056 seconds, clinching the victory for Toyota. Bowman claimed third place, followed by Carson Hocevar in fourth place, and Erik Jones rounded out the top five.
Reflecting on his win, Reddick, piloting the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, expressed his delight, praising the performance of the new Toyota Camry. He credited his victory to the car’s exceptional performance and his own driving, acknowledging that while he’s still prone to errors, he executed a strong restart when it mattered most.
The battle for the final transfer position into Sunday’s 500 field was intense over the last six laps, with Jimmie Johnson and J.J. Yeley fiercely competing. Ultimately, Johnson secured 12th place, securing his spot as Yeley finished 16th.
Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, Ty Gibbs, Larson, and Chris Buescher completed the top-10 finishers. Last year’s winner, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., navigated through traffic to briefly lead on lap 10, with Jones and Corey LaJoie in close pursuit.
Stenhouse maintained his lead with 40 laps remaining after a brief challenge from LaJoie. Martin Truex Jr. took over the lead with 33 laps to go, aided by a push from Larson, with a round of green flag pit stops looming.
Anthony Alfredo, losing the draft, opted to pit alone on lap 34 but incurred a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road. The first group of cars hit pit road on lap 41, including Johnson, Reddick, and Jones. Dillon and Stenhouse followed suit a lap later, with a group of Chevrolets, including Larson, pitting on lap 45.
Following the completion of pit stops, Larson reclaimed the lead with 14 laps remaining. However, with 10 laps to go, a multi-car accident occurred in Turn 4, involving Dillon, Stenhouse, and Daniel Hemric, among others, necessitating a caution.
The race resumed on lap 54, with Larson leading the pack, followed by Suarez, Elliott, Gibbs, and Hocevar. Yeley battled Johnson for the final transfer spot as the race restarted.
