Sports HAMPTON, Ga. — Joey Logano dislikes the crashes and fascinating hits which can presumably well maybe be typical of NASCAR racing on drafting tracks. He elegant much says the racing at those tracks is fun till it be now now not.
He by no intention received to the no-fun 2d as he loved the fun of winning Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, earning the 34th Cup flee-winning trophy of his profession and a situation within the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
Logano, the leader going into an overtime restart, historical a push from Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney on an overtime restart to shield the lead and held off spring Atlanta winner Daniel Suarez as smartly to capture the fetch.
“All of us talked about how wildcard this round could presumably well maybe be,” Logano acknowledged. “We knew that the Penske autos would be real on the superspeedway kind form racetracks. We now were all year long.
“Unfortunately, we now were caught up in every you can factor in ruin on these form of tracks [previously this year].”
The four winless drivers who delight in the fewest components fetch eradicated in two weeks after races at Watkins Glen and Bristol, however Logano could presumably well maybe now not must apprehension about that thanks to the victory.
Takeaways from Atlanta where Logano, Suarez and Blaney were adopted by Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman within the head-5.
Logano Bursts Into Playoffs
The Team Penske driver, a two-time Cup champion, had a rather lackluster frequent season, finishing 15th within the standings. His one victory that gave him a playoff show came in a 5-overtime chaotic flee at Nashville.
“Extra occasions than now now not, apart from closing year, we now were in a enviornment to level up after we now delight in got to level up,” acknowledged Logano, who turned into eradicated within the principle round closing year. “To be in a enviornment to fireplace off your first flee of the playoffs with an announcement fetch, it be key.”
Logano would now not must apprehension about the next two races apart from to provide seemingly extra playoff components that can also relieve if he would now not fetch within the upcoming rounds.
“Some persons are roughly born a explicit intention, admire very competitive people,” Logano acknowledged. “There is occasions that that bites me as much as it helps me.
“I maintain admire for regardless of reason there could be repeatedly every other equipment in there. I strive and be triumphant in it every flee, however it indubitably real looks admire the playoffs appear to work for us as a crew.”
Bowman, Cindric, Suarez abundant gainers
Amongst the drivers to blueprint the biggest jump within the standings as they fight to advance to the next round were Suarez, Bowman and Austin Cindric (10th).
Bowman went from being tied at the cutoff to having a 27-point cushion, Cindric went from two components up to moreover being 27 components earlier than the cutoff and Suarez went from one point ahead to 22 components to the suitable.
Suarez turned into dissatisfied all for he turned into side-by-side for the lead within the closing laps old to he misplaced his push from teammate Ross Chastain.
“It turned into nice to bustle real this day, however while you happen to are that terminate and clearly we had a real shot [to win], it be by no intention too fun,” Suarez acknowledged.
Cindric earned 19 components within the phases while Bowman earned 16, serving to boost their totals.
“Obviously it turned into a terribly abundant components day — I prefer we would delight in had some issues scramble slightly larger with 10 [laps] to head to be in a larger enviornment to challenge for the fetch,” Bowman acknowledged.
NASCAR Cup Sequence: Quaker Relate 400 Accessible at Walmart highlights Truex, Larson, Gibbs wonder what could presumably well were
Kyle Larson, who entered the flee atop the point standings with a 40-point cushion, now has real a 15-point cushion after his car snapped unfastened on him, he hit the wall after which turned into peaceable by Stir Briscoe. He completed with real one point for his 37th-affirm enact.
“I don’t know if that’s immoral success,” Larson acknowledged. “I real received unfastened. … It caught me intention off-guard. I turned into by no intention as soon as in that identical nook turned into unfastened.”
Truex turned into peaceable in an accident when Chris Buescher received unfastened and spun into Truex, who limped his car home in 35th. He’s now 19 components at the relieve of the cutline.
His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs regarded admire he could presumably well maybe produce his first profession victory as the leader with 10 laps to head. But he received shuffled out of the lead on a late restart and settled for 17th. He’s now real one point above the cutline.
“I turned into real too late [to block] — I take pudgy obligation for that,” Gibbs acknowledged. “I’m frustrated. … I real didn’t enact it and elevate out a real job there so it be my fault.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports actions. He has spent decades retaining motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Carrying Recordsdata, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Seaside) Recordsdata-Journal. Notify him on Twitter @ bobpockrass .
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