Thanks to Logano, Nobody is Safe at Talladega

Joey Logano took the other Talladega golden ticket after scoring the victory in America’s heartland.

The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford scored the victory after sending Matt Kenseth for a spin with five laps to go.

“It’s just good hard racing,” he said of his racing with Kenseth. “He raced me hard, so I raced him hard back. The fact that we’re the only team that can relax now is going to pay big dividends going into Martinsville. To make a lot of these guys nervous going into Talladega is part of the strategy.”

After leading 153 laps, Matt Kenseth finished a disappointing 14th in his No. 20 JGR Toyota.

“It’s hard to drive a car with the rear tires off the ground. I was moving around the best I could, Joey (Logano) was a lot tighter, a lot faster on the short run, but we were so much better on the long run. I could still kind of get up to the top and get a run and get around him. We caught those two lapped cars, ‘Crazy’ (spotter) told me I was clear and I was, I pulled up in front of him and he just lifted my tires off the ground and he wrecked us,” Kenseth said.

Denny Hamlin drove his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota to a runner-up finish. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne finished third and fourth and Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five.

Kurt Busch finished sixth,  followed by Ryan Blaney in seventh, Carl Edwards in eighth, Brad Keselowski was ninth and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top-10.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the Chase drivers with a 21st-place finish in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

There were 21 lead changes among nine different drivers with seven cautions for 39 laps. The race lasted for two hours, 58 minutes and 22 seconds at an average speed of 135.732 mph.

Logano leaves Kansas with a 13-point lead over Denny Hamlin. Kurt Busch leaves in third 18-points back and Carl Edwards is fourth 19 points back. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski leave tied for fifth, 24 points back. Martin Truex Jr. leaves in eighth, 25-points back. Kyle Busch is ninth trailing the Contender Round cutoff by six-points. Ryan Newman leaves in 10th trailing the cutoff by eight points. Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaves Kansas in 11th trailing the cutoff by 31-points with Kenseth in 12th trailing the cutoff by 35 points.

Realistically, Earnhardt and Kenseth head to Talladega needing to win the race in order to advance to the Eliminator Round. Kyle Busch and Newman could race their way in without winning.

Next up is the Alabama roulette wheel (I really hope that catches on) known as Talladega Superspeedway.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Best New Zealand Online Casinos

RacingJunk.com and Leaf Racewear Safety Equipment Giveaway

Rocketplay Casino

10 deposit casinos

Best Betting Sites in Canada

bettingtop10.ca

Latest articles