Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA

Joey Logano repeats as Las Vegas winner in wild finish

Joey Logano held on for a crazy two-lap restart and repeated his victory of a year ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Race Winner: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Pennzoil

Race Winner: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Pennzoil

John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images

Race Winner: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Pennzoil
Race Winner: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Pennzoil
Race Winner: Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Pennzoil

Logano got a jump on the field on the restart with two of 267 laps remaining and just after he took the white flag, a wreck erupted behind him in Turn 4, which placed the race under caution.

The win is Logano’s first of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series and his first with new crew chief Paul Wolfe. It’s Logano’s 24th win of his career.

Matt DiBenedetto ended up second, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was third, Austin Dillon fourth and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-five.

Completing the top-10 were Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and Ty Dillon.

 

"I'm not really sure what I was supposed to do (on the last caution), but boy, we fought hard for this one today. Man, what a battle between (Ryan) Blaney and I and Chase Elliott and (Martin Truex Jr.) earlier in the race, and then to see this finish with Matt (DiBenedetto) finishing second is great day for Wood Brothers and for Team Penske," Logano said after the race.

"Man, nothing like winning the Pennzoil 400 in front of this amazing crowd with this awesome yellow car right here in the front.  Man, this is a huge win, and nice to kick off the season with a 'W'."

Asked if a push from Stenhouse helped on the final restart, Logano said: "You get a good start like that, and I watched him, he pushed me and then he shoved me ahead, which was great, and then the block on (William Byron), that was the winning move, I was able to get down in front of him and then be able to separate myself a little bit from the field.

"Clean air was going to be key with old tires. If I got swallowed up by a couple cars, I was just going to fall backwards really quick. Being able to get that clean air, secure that.  Man, this is great getting back in Victory Lane."

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, all of the lead lap cars elected to pit with Martin Truex Jr. the first off pit road but he had to pit a second time to tighten loose lug nuts.

That left Blaney as the leader when the race returned to green on Lap 167, followed by Chase Elliott, William Byron, Logano and Harvick.

Logano, thanks to a push from Blaney, took the lead on the restart as John Hunter Nemechek spun in Turn 2 to bring out a caution.

On the restart on Lap 172, Logano led the way followed by Blaney and Harvick. Harvick grabbed the lead on the restart only to see Logano take it back one lap later.

On Lap 176, Truex – who moments before had developed a tire rub – got into the Turn 3 wall to bring out a caution. On the restart on Lap 182, Logano led the way followed by Blaney and Harvick.

Blaney got around Logano on the restart to grab the lead only to see Harvick reclaim the top spot on Lap 184.

Blaney eventually ran Harvick back down to reclaim the lead on Lap 201 as Elliott began to challenge Harvick for the second spot. Elliott then went to the inside of Blaney and returned to the lead on Lap 205.

Aric Almirola was the first to begin a round of green-flag pit stops with 59 laps remaining in the race.

The cycle of green-flag stops was interrupted on Lap 220 when Elliott slammed into Turn 1 after it appeared he had a tire go down.

 

There were only three cars on the lead lap at the time, and after they pit, Stenhouse led the way on the restart on Lap 227 followed by John Hunter Nemechek Blaney and Logano.

Logano quickly moved into the lead on the restart.

With 20 laps remaining, Logano continued to hold off Harvick while Blaney remained in striking distance of both in third. With 15 to go, Bowman was moving up fast, taking the fourth position.

On Lap 255, Blaney got around Logano for the lead as Alex Bowman moved into third and began challenging for second.

Bowman got around Logano in Turn 3 on Lap 259 to move into second, less than a second behind Blaney.

With six laps remaining, Ross Chastain spun off Turn 2 to bring out a caution and bunching the field. Blaney elected to pit but seven cars stayed out.

On the restart with two to go, Logano led the way, followed by Byron, DiBenedetto, Stenhouse and Tyler Reddick. Keselowski, the first car off pit road, lined up eighth.

Stage 2

Elliott took the Stage 2 win when the race was placed under caution following a wreck by Christopher Bell on the backstretch.

 

Until the caution, Elliott had worked feverishly to hold off a fast-approaching Truex. Blaney ended up grabbing second before the caution, Truex was third, Byron fourth and Logano completed the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, all of the lead-lap cars elected to pit with Elliott the first off pit road. On the restart on Lap 88, Elliott was followed by Truex and Harvick.

Harvick quickly reclaimed the lead on the restart as Elliott dropped back to second and Truex to third.

Elliott closed on Harvick and got around him to retake the lead in Turn 3 on Lap 103 as Truex moved into second.

Bell and Chastain were the first two drivers to make green-flag pit stops on Laps 116 and 188, respectively, for new tires and fuel to get to the finish of the stage.

Once the cycle of stops was completed on Lap 146, Elliott emerged as the race leader followed by Truex, Blaney, Byron and Harvick.

With 10 laps remaining in the first stage, Truex closed back in on Elliott and tried to challenge for the lead again as Blaney ran third.

Stage 1

Elliott ran down Harvick and grabbed the lead with 11 laps to go and held on for the Stage 1 victory.

Truex ended up second, Harvick third, Blaney fourth and Logano completed the top-five.

Harvick quickly moved into the lead at the start but the race was almost immediately placed under caution when Daniel Suarez’s No. 96 Toyota stalled out on the frontstretch due to an ignition issue.

The race returned to green on Lap 5 with Harvick out front followed by Logano and Blaney. Logano moved into the top spot shortly after the restart.

After working the high side, Harvick moved back into the lead on Lap 13.

On Lap 26, NASCAR displayed a competition caution to allow teams the opportunity to check for tire wear. All of the lead-lap cars elected to pit with Harvick the first off pit road. The race returned to green on Lap 31.

With 40 laps remaining in the stage, Harvick maintained a small lead over Truex and Elliott.

Elliott passed Truex and took over the second position with 20 laps left in the first stage. Harvick’s had built up to nearly a second.

Elliott worked his way around Harvick to take the lead for the first time with 11 laps to go in the first stage. Truex quickly got around Harvick as well and moved into second.

Before the start of the race, the cars of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Bell and Garrett Smithley had to drop to the rear of the field for inspection infractions, while Brennan Poole dropped back because of an engine change.

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Laps Led
1 22 United States Joey Logano Ford 267   54
2 21 United States Matt DiBenedetto Ford 267 0.491  
3 47 United States Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chevrolet 267 0.857 30
4 3 United States Austin Dillon Chevrolet 267 1.454 1
5 48 United States Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 267 1.805  
6 43 United States Darrell Wallace Jr. Chevrolet 267 1.876  
7 2 United States Brad Keselowski Ford 267 3.371  
8 4 United States Kevin Harvick Ford 267 3.743 92
9 42 United States Kyle Larson Chevrolet 267 3.796  
10 13 United States Ty Dillon Chevrolet 267 3.814  
11 12 United States Ryan Blaney Ford 267 3.943 19
12 14 United States Clint Bowyer Ford 267 4.934  
13 88 United States Alex Bowman Chevrolet 267 5.942  
14 17 United States Chris Buescher Ford 267 5.943  
15 18 United States Kyle Busch Toyota 267 6.098  
16 32 United States Corey Lajoie Ford 267 6.892  
17 11 United States Denny Hamlin Toyota 267 7.253  
18 8 United States Tyler Reddick Chevrolet 267 8.899  
19 41 United States Cole Custer Ford 267 9.406  
20 19 United States Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 267 9.945 1
21 10 United States Aric Almirola Ford 267 10.725  
22 24 United States William Byron Chevrolet 267 11.573  
23 20 United States Erik Jones Toyota 267 12.198  
24 38 United States John Hunter Nemechek Ford 267 44.580  
25 1 United States Kurt Busch Chevrolet 266 1 lap  
26 9 United States Chase Elliott Chevrolet 266 1 lap 70
27 6 United States Ross Chastain Ford 265 2 laps  
28 52 United States J.J. Yeley Ford 264 3 laps  
29 15 United States Brennan Poole Chevrolet 264 3 laps  
30 96 Mexico Daniel Suarez Toyota 263 4 laps  
31 53 United States Joey Gase Ford 258 9 laps  
32 00 United States Quin Houff Chevrolet 258 9 laps  
33 95 United States Christopher Bell Toyota 257 10 laps  
34 77 United States Reed Sorenson Chevrolet 253 14 laps  
35 51 United States Garrett Smithley Ford 252 15 laps  
36 34 United States Michael McDowell Ford 245 22 laps  
37 37 United States Ryan Preece Chevrolet 222 45 laps  
38 66 United States Timmy Hill Toyota 175 92 laps  

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Newman "unequivocally expressed" desire to return
Next article DiBenedetto second at Vegas: "This is all just too surreal"

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA