Joey Logano wins Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in unbelievable five overtime finish
How did we get to the end of this 400-mile race and of all drivers it was Team Penske’s Joey Logano taking the checkered flag in Nashville. Logano is now in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and Bubba Wallace gets shoved off the bubble.
This is the first points-paying win for Joey Logano this season. He was a winner in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, but this one probably feels even better than $1,000,000. The way it happened was absolutely unpredictable as well.
How Logano made it on fuel in tonight’s race will remain a mystery, I’m sure. A chaotic finish and a wild night in Music City.
Christopher Bell flexes in first stage
While his teammate Denny Hamlin was the pole-sitter, Christopher Bell fired out of the gate quick. It wasn’t long before he was in the lead and firmly in control. This would be a common theme throughout most of the race.
Toyota was strong in the early going. Between Bell, Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Martin Truex Jr., and Bubba Wallace it felt like every JGR and 23XI driver was hitting on all cylinders. The same could not be said of their Legacy Motor Club counterparts.
A fairly bland first stage as far as cautions go. We did not get a yellow flag in the opening stage. It was a very strong stage for JGR. We also saw a strong showing from RFK Racing, both of their cars picked up stage points as well.
Kyle Busch got off to a rough start but things turned around for the beleaguered RCR driver.
Rain delay, Joey Logano gets mad, and cautions
While the first stage had no cautions, things picked up in the second. Christopher Bell was once again out front. He would lead a total of 131 laps on the day. It was more or less the same story as the first stage. Only this time, it was Reddick who was giving chase to Bell in P2.
John Hunter Nemechek went for a spin in the grass. Ty Gibbs also brought out a caution by sliding in the grass. Both of those cautions let drivers vary their pit strategy and get creative.
The real story in this stage was the rain delay. Storms moved into the area and it wasn’t long before the track was lost. The delay lasted about an hour and a half. The track was so hot already from this weekend’s weather that drying took little time.
We also had a bit of Denny Hamlin drama. He made Joey Logano so mad that Logano gave him the finger under caution. Then there was a dust-up with Kyle Larson after some hard racing between the two to end the stage.
Joey Logano wins in record five overtimes
No Cup Series race has had five overtimes until today at Nashville Superspeedway. What a show, and that could be good or bad depending on how your favorite driver fared in that mess.
The strongest car, Christopher Bell, wrecked out in the final stage after leading for 131 laps. He spun around on his own and that was that. His suspension was ruined and he was out of the race.
For what it was worth, this didn’t feel like the annoying multiple overtime race that we have seen in the past. That might just be how I feel about it. This race kept me engaged, the fuel strategies, tire strategies, and chaotic cautions had everyone on their toes.
Joey Logano came back from a rough start today. He struggled. His team put him on two tires a couple of times. Then there was a rain delay. After that, five overtime restarts. Somehow, some way, Logano made a full tank of gas last more than 100 miles. He last pit on Lap 221, and this race went 331 laps total.
This is a race that fans will remember for a long time. Zane Smith gets his best career finish in the Cup Series, P2. He was almost there at the end. Tyler Reddick had the most complete day today, P3.