LAS VEGAS — Knocked out of the playoffs this time final week, Joey Logano seized on his reversal of fortune to develop into the primary driver locked into NASCAR’s championship finale.
Logano was beneath the cutline and eradicated from the eight-driver area when he left Charlotte Motor Speedway final Sunday. However when Alex Bowman’s automotive failed post-race inspection, Bowman was disqualified and Logano reinstated to the playoff area.
The one two-time Cup champion within the playoff area, Logano handed Daniel Suarez with 5 laps remaining Sunday for his fourth profession victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s the second win of the playoffs for Logano and the Group Penske driver makes a Ford the primary one locked into the winner-take-all closing 4 at Phoenix Raceway subsequent month.
Logano needed to maintain off pole-sitter Christopher Bell, who led a race-high 156 laps, over the closing two laps. A late pit cease put Bell 30 seconds behind Suarez, and Bell was cruising in his Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing making an attempt to run down Suarez when Logano bought to Suarez first.
Bell did not have sufficient to catch Logano and completed 0.662 seconds again.
“We will the championship 4 once more!” Logano shouted on the frontstrech.
Suarez, who was eradicated from the playoffs final week, completed third in a Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports was fourth, adopted by teammate Bowman and Gibbs driver Martin Truex Jr., who was eradicated from the playoffs within the first spherical in his closing season of full-time NASCAR racing.
Gibbs driver Denny Hamlin was eighth in a large restoration on an underwhelming day and solely 4 playoff drivers completed within the high 10.
Kyle Larson, winner of two straight at Las Vegas in addition to final week at Charlotte, got here from two laps down to complete eleventh. The remaining three playoff drivers had horrible days as reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and regular-season champion Tyler Reddick had been all collected in the identical early crash.
Logano is locked into the championship race, whereas Bell, Larson and Byron are above the cutline. Hamlin, Reddick, Blaney and Elliott are all beneath the elimination mark with two races remaining within the spherical.
Up subsequent
NASCAR strikes to Homestead-Miami Speedway subsequent Sunday for the center race of the spherical of eight. Bell is the defending race winner.
The Related Press contributed to this story.
