Joey Logano advance to NASCAR playoffs, seize triumph in critical situation
Joey Logano wasn't exactly in a must-win situation but he seized a critical triumph to give Team Penske just one car in the next playoff round of NASCAR. The victory gave him a guaranteed slot as 12 drivers cut down to 8 as the day when the chase for the sprint cup championship comes fast approaches.
An engine trouble that knocked off title favorite Martin Truex Jr. from NASCAR's playoffs has given the rest of the opponents a chance to breathe. The same cruel elimination has happened for Brad Keselowski when his engine failed at Talladega Superspeedway.
Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin raced edgy final two laps overtime to fill the bracket. The two pushed for every last point, Dillon finished ninth and Hamlin finished third. Denny Hamlin advanced Austin Dillon to the round of eight in the field on a tiebreaker. Dillon called the as "heartbreaking" and added "it stinks to lose in a tiebreaker," Salon has reported.
Also eliminated on Sunday was Chase Elliot. Advancing is Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Logano, Jimmie Johnson, and Hamlin. Four Toyotas remain in the field, Harvick and Kurt Busch in Stewart-Haas Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing. The two had an intense exchange after the race over an alleged contact was made on the last lap leaving Logano the only Ford driver in the field alongside Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson and three Chevrolets in the field.
The race was a difference from spring stop in Alabama. A total of 35 cars were involved in one accident and two cars even went airborne. Last year, Kevin Harvick purposely caused an accident on an overtime reboot to help keep his championship chances, AP has reported.
But on Sunday, the drivers seemed to have behaved. The only glitches came in which three championship contenders exchanged uncharacteristic gaffes with one other. Logano left the pit road with a jack under his Ford and he had to return to remove it. Then Hamlin was flagged for speeding and Truex lost an engine.
Treux made an early exit because of engine failure, ending his title chances. Keselowski was eliminated - he's best remembered for overcoming a must-win situation two years ago at Talladega, in which he stepped up and grabbed the monumental victory.
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