Joey Logano received his third Nascar Cup Sequence championship Sunday with a relentless drive at Phoenix Raceway that gave Group Penske its third main motorsports title in lower than a month.
Logano held off Penske teammate Ryan Blaney over the ultimate 20 laps to beat him for the collection title by 0.330 seconds. Blaney was making an attempt to turn out to be the primary back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson received 5 straight from 2006 to 2010.
As a substitute, Logano grew to become the tenth driver in Nascar historical past to win three or extra championships and broke a tie with Kyle Busch as the one lively drivers with a number of titles.
“I really like the playoffs, I find it irresistible man,” Logano stated. “What a staff, what a Penske battle there on the finish. Three of them? That’s really particular.”
It was the primary time in Group Penske historical past the group completed 1-2 within the championship. And it got here after Roger Penske’s sports activities automotive staff in IMSA received the title final month and his World Endurance Championship staff received the title final weekend in Bahrain.
“At the least a Penske automotive received it,” stated Blaney, who admitted to be “worn out” on the finish of the race. “They put collectively an amazing playoffs, and we’re pleased. If we’re going to race any person, I’m pleased it was him for the championship, and pleased to be 1-2 for Roger, three in a row for Roger, tremendous wonderful, and Ford.”
Penske and Ford have received three consecutive Cup Sequence championships. Logano received in 2022 and Blaney received final 12 months.
“One-two for Group Penske, three championships in a row, can’t be extra happy with this staff,” Logano stated. “I don’t know if I’m the perfect driver however I’ve obtained the perfect staff. And collectively, we’re very well-rounded and might present up when it issues essentially the most.”
The finale was winner-take-all to the best finisher between Logano, Blaney, William Byron in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and Tyler Reddick of the 23XI Racing staff owned by NBA Corridor of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.
Byron completed third within the race and Reddick was sixth. It was Byron’s second consecutive look within the finale, the primary for Reddick.
“Makes you hungrier, but additionally simply extra expertise in what it takes,” stated Byron, the Daytona 500 winner. “I really feel like this fashion of observe has been robust on us, and we made a whole lot of strides this 12 months, however nonetheless extra to go. If we are able to simply type of inch up on this fashion of observe, I do know we’re so good in any respect the opposite ones, and we are able to put all of it collectively.”
Reddick, who had been subdued all week in comparison with his fellow title contenders, didn’t lead a lap and had Jordan pacing behind the pit wall a lot of the race.
“Michael was simply happy with the trouble of our staff all 12 months lengthy,” Reddick stated. “Put up battle. We didn’t make any errors that took ourselves out of it. We fought as laborious as we may.”
The 4 title contenders completed within the top-six, with Reddick behind Kyle Larson of Hendrick and Christopher Bell, who led a race-high 143 laps after he was disqualified from the finale final week at Martinsville for a security violation. Byron took his spot as a substitute, and Bell insisted he had been cheated out of the prospect to race for the title.
Logano, a 34-year-old Connecticut driver, led 107 laps within the dominating win that Blaney made nearer than anticipated within the ultimate laps. However his very presence within the ultimate 4 was controversial as Logano was eradicated from the playoffs after the second spherical solely to be reinstated when Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports failed post-race inspection at Charlotte.
Logano was put again within the area of eight, went to Las Vegas Motor Speedway the following week and received to turn out to be the primary driver locked into the championship race. It gave his No 22 staff three weeks to arrange for Phoenix.
“Our staff is best below stress,” Logano stated. “The race began in Vegas for us. The quantity of labor and energy that went into constructing this race automotive proper right here, the period of time, I don’t suppose anybody works more durable than us. We have been up at 6 within the morning this morning going over stuff. The blokes simply need it unhealthy and I’m glad we delivered.”
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