Joey Logano dominates to win NASCAR Cup Collection factors race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday within the Window World 450.
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C.—Joey Logano had a gleam in his eye and a lilt in his voice as he readied to climb into the No. 22 Crew Penske Ford for the beginning of Sunday evening’s Window World 450.
Joey Logano Dominates to Win
“I believe now we have a quick automobile,” Logano opined optimistically earlier than taking the inexperienced flag within the first NASCAR Cup Collection factors race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 30 years.
Logano was proper, however his evaluation turned out to be a large understatement. After main a single-race career-best 323 laps, Logano crossed the end line 0.859 seconds forward of collection chief Denny Hamlin to win for the primary time since Could 2025 when he triumphed at Texas Motor Speedway.
The victory was Logano’s first in a factors race on the 0.625 brief observe, although he additionally gained the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at revitalized North Wilkesboro. In entrance of an enthusiastic sell-out crowd, Logano recorded the thirty eighth Cup victory of his profession, the Twenty third-most all-time.
“It’s good to get again into Victory Lane,” Logano mentioned. “It’s been a troublesome 12 months. So getting the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang doing a little massive, smoky doughnuts round this place felt actually good.”
The victory was a definite shiny spot in a hard season for the three-time Cup Collection champion, who vaulted from seventeenth to fifteenth within the collection standings, 49 factors clear of the present minimize line for the postseason Chase.
“(Crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) put collectively a superb automobile,” Logano mentioned. “I believe I do know precisely what I must go quick round this place. He’s capable of give it to me.“I knew coming into this weekend, we’ve acquired to capitalize on the factors. A win was nice, however we actually want the factors. Actually capitalized on these tonight.”
Denny Hamlin in Pursuit
Hamlin was capable of keep near Logano within the ultimate stage, however the race winner labored visitors adroitly and by no means gave Hamlin an opportunity to shut inside placing distance.
The crucial juncture got here throughout a green-flag pit cease cycle within the ultimate stage, with Hamlin steering his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to pit highway on lap 359 of 450. Logano adopted a lap later and exited the pits roughly a half-second forward of Hamlin.
That pit cycle proved decisive.
“Yeah, the strain was there, for certain,” Logano mentioned. “Denny acquired actually good there the final run. Truthfully, it was whoever was out entrance was going to win the race.“We had been fairly dominant. However because the race went alongside, Denny acquired higher on the final run. Simply did an honest job maintaining with the observe. They did a superb job maintaining.”
Although his prolonged pursuit of Logano proved fruitless, Hamlin expanded his collection lead over second-place Tyler Reddick to 68 factors, with 5 races left earlier than the Chase discipline is about.
“You simply have to go with them on an amazing day and an amazing drive,” Hamlin mentioned of Logano’s effort. “They had been actually good. There have been lots of occasions that I felt like my automobile was actually near the place it wanted to be; it was only a smidge off.“Nice battle. At the least I used to be capable of preserve them trustworthy there, however he had lots of pace and by no means gave up on the brief run or the long term, so nice job to our complete Progressive Toyota staff for holding us within the ballgame, however we should go regroup.”
Chase Briscoe ran third and Ty Gibbs fourth, regardless of an early pit highway rushing penalty. Shane van Gisbergen, who maintained a presence within the high ten for the whole race and led 49 laps (second most to Logano), positioned fifth and climbed one place to 14th within the standings, 54 factors above the present Chase cutoff.
Within the semifinal of the NASCAR Cup Collection In-Season Problem, Todd Gilliland continued his unlikely march to the winner-take-all $1-million payday with an eighth-place end to Chase Elliott’s seventeenth.
Elliott was buried two laps down when a warning for a collision between the Chevrolet of Alex Bowman and the Toyota of Reddick—as Bowman turned throughout visitors making an attempt to enter pit highway on lap 183—interrupted a cycle of green-flag stops.
Elliott completed three laps down after a late pit cease.
Ryan Blaney, who completed eleventh, two laps down, after a rushing penalty, ousted Christopher Bell from the In-Season Problem. Like Elliott, Bell was a sufferer of the lap 183 warning after pitting early within the cycle. He completed nineteenth, three laps down.
The race featured 5 cautions for 43 laps, with the ultimate stage working caution-free for 175 green-flag laps. There have been 17 lead modifications amongst 9 drivers, the bulk coming throughout green-flag pit cycles.
Gibbs gained the primary stage earlier than drawing his rushing penalty, with Logano exerting his dominance in profitable Stage 2.
Sixth-place Bubba Wallace was the final driver to complete on the lead lap. Brad Keselowski, Gilliland, Daniel Suarez and Ryan Preece—all one lap down—accomplished the highest ten.
Subsequent Up
Blaney will face Gilliland for the In-Season title in subsequent Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race begins at 2 p.m. ET on TNT, the IMS Radio Community and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The defending winner is Bubba Wallace.
