Logano takes Phoenix NASCAR Cup win despite mid-race penalty – NASCAR

NASCAR


Joey Logano scored his second NASCAR Cup series victory of the season in overtime at Phoenix, despite having to serve a mid-race penalty for a loose tyre.

Logano was slapped with the drive-through penalty on lap 136 of an eventual 316 after his Team Penske crew allowed a tyre to run loose through the pit-lane, which dropped the #22 Mustang from fifth to the rear of the field.

The 2017 Cup champion then worked his way back up through the field, helped by a high number of caution periods (12 in total) to take the lead on lap 226, running in the top five thereafter.

A caution period on lap 300 for a Ross Chastain spin after minor contact with Cole Custer and William Byron proved decisive in the race, as Logano opted to stay out whilst team-mate Brad Keselowski pitted the #2 Penske for four tyres.

Logano’s gamble to stay out proved the right option, and after controlling the overtime period, he held off Kevin Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing machine to record his 25th Cup victory and Penske’s first in the spring Phoenix race.

Behind Harvick came Kyle Busch, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was the only Toyota Camry exponent to come out of the race with a respectable result.

Busch’s team-mate Martin Truex Jr retired late-on after a wall strike following contact with Aric Almirola and Denny Hamlin’s race was ruined after an incident with pre-race points leader Ryan Blaney on lap 65 sent Hamlin tumbling towards the back of the field, and Blaney into retirement.

Kyle Larson (Ganassi), Clint Bowyer (SHR) and Kurt Busch (Ganassi) all scored good points, finishing in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, ahead of pole-sitter Chase Elliott, who dominated the early stages of the race.

Elliott led for a majority of the first stage, but lost out on the segment win to Harvick following on a restart, while his race never recovered from an unscheduled pit-stop on lap 156 for a suspected loose wheel.

Almirola, Cole Custer and Byron rounded out the top 10, ahead of Keselowski, who could only recover to take 11th, although he could take the consolation prize of stage two victory.

Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson’s winless run will reach 100 races, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver once again failed to win in the 99th race since his last win at Dover in 2017.

Johnson ran in the midfield for a majority of the race, and could only take 12th at the flag.

Phoenix results

Pos Driver Team Car Laps
1 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 316 3h20m50.s CLA
2 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 316 -0.276s 0.276s CLA
3 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 316 -0.617s 0.617s CLA
4 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 316 -0.891s 0.891s CLA
5 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 316 -1.051s 1.051s CLA
6 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 316 -1.282s 1.282s CLA
7 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 316 -1.400s 1.400s CLA
8 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 316 -1.648s 1.648s CLA
9 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 316 -1.954s 1.954s CLA
10 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 316 -2.182s 2.182s CLA
11 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 316 -2.463s 2.463s CLA
12 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 316 -2.577s 2.577s CLA
13 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 316 -2.802s 2.802s CLA
14 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 316 -2.804s 2.804s CLA
15 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 316 -2.851s 2.851s CLA
16 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 316 -3.023s 3.023s CLA
17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 316 -3.042s 3.042s CLA
18 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 316 -3.220s 3.220s CLA
19 Darrell Wallace Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 316 -3.367s 3.367s CLA
20 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 316 -3.500s 3.500s CLA
21 Daniel Suarez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 316 -3.635s 3.635s CLA
22 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 316 -3.764s 3.764s CLA
23 Ross Chastain Roush Fenway Racing Ford 316 -3.823s 3.823s CLA
24 Christopher Bell Leavine Family Racing Toyota 316 -3.890s 3.890s CLA
25 John Hunter Nemechek Front Row Motorsports Ford 316 -4.160s 4.160s CLA
26 J.J. Yeley Rick Ware Racing Ford 316 -4.990s 4.990s CLA
27 Corey LaJoie Go FAS Racing Ford 316 -5.597s 5.597s CLA
28 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 313 3 Laps CLA
29 Joey Gase Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 313 3 Laps CLA
30 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 312 4 Laps CLA
31 Brennan Poole Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 292 Electrical CLA
32 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 282 Accident CLA
33 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 264 Accident CLA
34 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 208 Accident CLA
35 Garrett Smithley Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 181 Engine CLA
36 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 129 Accident CLA
37 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 65 Accident CLA
38 Timmy Hill MBM Motorsports Toyota 51 Engine CLA



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