It’s been quite a season for Team Penske’s Joey Logano. He joined the team in 2013 and got one win in his inaugural season and this year he’s got three wins to his name. He collected his third win Saturday night in the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
He was able to lead the second highest amount of laps with 76 with taking the lead for the last time on lap 456 when he got by Matt Kenseth who didn’t pit after the last caution. Starting fifth, Logano was able to run at the front throughout the entire race and keep track position after each pit stop.
This was Logano’s first win at Bristol Motor Speedway and the sixth in his Sprint Cup career. He joins his teammate, Brad Keselowski, plus Jeff Gordon, Dale Earhardt, Jr., and Jimmie Johnson in getting three wins on the season to lock into the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
As with any short track, racing had its downfalls for several top drivers.
It was a rough night for Denny Hamlin who got a tap from Kevin Harvick while leading on lap 162 and went into the wall. As he bounced off the outside wall, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. sideswiped Hamlin’s car on the driver’s side and both cars sustained heavy damage. Hamlin, not happy with Harvick, threw his HANS device at Harvick’s car under caution as Harvick drove past Hamlin’s battered car. Earnhardt, Jr. returned to the track over 100 laps down but eventually took the No. 88 to the hauler.
Kyle Busch’s luck wasn’t much better. On lap 55, he got a speeding penalty and on lap 126 he got caught up in a five-car incident involving Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola, and Brian Vickers. Busch returned to the track but eventually parked his car and walked away to end his night.
It looked like Jamie McMurray would have a good chance to visit Victory Lane with a strong run in the middle of the race, but fought to stay in the hunt for the lead on lap 433 when Joey Logano put pressure on him for the lead. McMurray led 148 laps up until that lead change in the race which was a career high for McMurray. He slipped to eighth place which is where he finished.
Matt Kenseth continues to struggle to find a win this season. He was able to lead 62 laps in the race, but couldn’t compete with the Team Penske Fords of Logano and Brad Keselowski who finished first and second. He is still looking to be in the Chase this year in the points standings, but needs a win for more security. Kenseth finished third.
The top ten: Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Greg Biffle.
The next NASCAR Sprint Cup race will be on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
