NASCAR
Joey Logano Wins Nashville in Photo Finish After Fifth Overtime
LEBANON, Tenn. – Team Penske now has perfect representation in the 2024 NASCAR Playoffs. Following a marathon finish that went into quintuple-overtime, Joey Logano had ample gas in his tank to edge the competition at Nashville. Logano is now a Playoff lock after a lackluster start to his season, gunning for Penske’s third-straight Cup Series title.
Stage 1 would be won by Christopher Bell, going for back-to-back wins after New Hampshire. Bell took command early, passing Denny Hamlin in lapped traffic and drove off from the No. 11.
Rain would roll in just prior to halfway distance, forcing a red flag. The race resumed 80 minutes later, with Bell winning Stage 2.
Not long into Stage 3, Bell would find the outside wall after being set back. The dominant car of the afternoon would have to settle for a 36th-place finish.
A series of successive yellows eventually sent this race into a record-tying five overtimes. These extended laps forced Denny Hamlin to pit for fuel from the lead, erasing any chance at a Nashville win. This gave Logano the top spot, who had to survive two restarts with his own fuel concerns. Ultimately the No. 22 had just enough gas, narrowly beating Zane Smith and Tyler Reddick to the line.
“A lot of teamwork there,” Logano said after stretching his fuel tank 110 laps. “You have to give a lot of credit to our fueler, Nick Hensley, our engine department with Roush Yates building obviously some engines that could also manage fuel really well, and some guts – a lot of cajones made it happen.”
“It’s been a hard season and being on that cut line. It sucks, it’s just not fun. It’s hard and you just want a little bit of relief of the pressure. With seven weeks to go until the Playoffs, it gives us a chance to breathe for a second and start just kind of working on our car a little bit differently and just sleep better, to be honest with you. I’m proud of this team and proud to be here in Victory Lane, for sure.”
Behind the front trio, Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher both earned top-fives. Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Daniel Hemric, and Noah Gragson were the top-10. Hear from a few of these drivers below.
Logano is the 11th different winner so far in 2024, sending the two-time champion back into the Playoffs. Only five spots remain open with seven regular season races left.
Perhaps the biggest wildcard race left in the regular season looms large next week. The Chicago Street Race returns for its second year on Sunday. The Grant Park 165 goes green at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Shane van Gisbergen stunned everyone with a come from nowhere win last year. Will the Windy City lead to another unforgettable upset?
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to James Gilbert/Getty Images
