Category: Cup Series

Be careful what you wish for – Cup drivers on COTA’s new unknowns

Denny Hamlin issued a classic “be careful what you wish for” Friday after NASCAR Cup Series practice at Circuit of The Americas. For the first time in seven years, NASCAR officials will not throw a caution flag at the end of the stage breaks this …

Denny Hamlin issued a classic “be careful what you wish for” Friday after NASCAR Cup Series practice at Circuit of The Americas.

For the first time in seven years, NASCAR officials will not throw a caution flag at the end of the stage breaks this weekend. The industry has talked about doing away with those cautions for a few seasons, the criticism being that stages eliminated strategy and made the road course racing a bit predictable.

Now that the race can unfold organically, the question becomes: What will Sunday bring?

“I think we got pressured into this one,” Hamlin said. “I think this one has the potential to get really strung out – a lot. If we do, I don’t want to hear any complaining about (it)…

“Certainly (for) road courses, this will make for more strategy, but if you are 10s behind the car in front of you and (another car is) 10s behind you, strategy is not going to matter a ton.”

Joey Logano said there is a possibility for the race to go without a caution, as the Cup race at Road America did last year (save for its stage breaks). He doesn’t see that being the case in Austin, though.

“I’ll probably eat my words on this — there is not a whole bunch of things to hit,” Logano said of the 20-turn, 3.41-mile Texas circuit. “They did a great job building this racetrack to where you can spin out…without hitting anything. There is a lot of runoff and extra pavement out there and all that. It’s really nice for those reasons.

“It can (go caution free). I doubt it will. It’ll be interesting if it does and (seeing) how the strategy will play out. I think there is a couple of ways you can play the race. We’ll wait and see.”

Another unknown, at least regarding the racing product, is the aero package. COTA is the first road course where teams will use the new rules package which includes a short spoiler and adjustments to the diffuser and engine.

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“Slick” was the word drivers used to describe how it felt in practice. Martin Truex Jr. believes the lack of grip and drivers sliding around could mean more passing. Christopher Bell said the track felt like an ice-skating rink.

“Typically you look at places like Darlington or Richmond, Homestead even — tracks that are very slick — and it seems like guys are focused a little bit more on what they’re doing, and we see less yellows,” said Bell. “So, the potential for a green-to-checkered race is definitely there.”

What is certain is how the lack of two predetermined cautions will change how teams and drivers approach the race. Multiple drivers were quick to mention that a choice no longer has to be made between bagging points or trying to win the race.

“It’s going to be pitting the race backward and that kind of stuff,” Ryan Blaney said. “It’s something we’ve been talking about for a year or two between the drivers and NASCAR because stage breaks at road courses can jumble things up so much and it gets messy. Obviously you’re going to pit without going a lap down, so you’ve got the top five or eight fastest cars on the racetrack who think they can win — yeah, they’re not going to get stage points, and so they give up all those usually through the day, but it lines them up to win the race.

“But then sometimes you have guys who stay out and get the points who are not as good, but then you restart in the back. I think it’s going to clean it up a little bit. I think it’s right for road courses, personally. We’ll find out.”

After practice, Hamlin made a mental note about what he, as the driver, will need to do for Sunday.

“I said to myself coming in after practice that I better stay hydrated on this one,” Hamlin said. “It’s going to definitely be tough physically if it stays green.”

He also echoed what Austin Cindric said earlier this week about COTA being a physically demanding track.

“It definitely is, for sure,” he said. “It’s got some technical parts. It’s got long straightaways. You have to hit your marks everywhere around this racetrack, or else time really can compound. So, agree with that.”

Logano isn’t worried about not being able to go the distance but thinks drivers are going to feel the difference in not having two expected cautions.

“The cars are hot,” the 2022 champ said. “I guess if you’re not in shape and not ready for it and not prepared, you probably shouldn’t go drinking the night before the race.

“I feel fine about it, but I do think it’ll be exhausting for sure. I think at the end, you’ll be tired.”

Reddick leads the way in COTA NASCAR Cup practice

Tyler Reddick was fastest in the lone NASCAR Cup Series practice session held Friday at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 92.989mph (2m12.016s). Reddick won on two road courses last season at Road America and Indianapolis. That P1 feeling …

Tyler Reddick was fastest in the lone NASCAR Cup Series practice session held Friday at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 92.989mph (2m12.016s).

Reddick won on two road courses last season at Road America and Indianapolis.

Kyle Larson, another road course winner, was second fastest in COTA practice, clocking in at 92.618 mph.

Ross Chastain was third fastest in practice at 92.52 mph. Chastain started the weekend off by tossing a watermelon off the COTA Tower as the defending race winner. It was Chastain’s first career win in the Cup Series.

Kyle Busch was fourth fastest at 92.498 mph and Daniel Suarez was fifth fastest at 92.461 mph.

Michael McDowell was sixth fastest at 92.458 mph, Austin Cindric was seventh fastest at 92.441 mph, and Bubba Wallace was eighth fastest at 92.433 mph. Joey Logano was ninth fastest at 92.407 mph and Jordan Taylor was 10th fastest at 92.404 mph. Taylor is driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports this weekend as Chase Elliott continues to recover from a snowboarding accident.

It was something of a slow start for the other road racing guest stars, though. Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button was 28th fastest in practice. Button, driving the No. 15 for Rick Ware Racing, ran a fast lap of 91.758 mph. Fellow F1 champ Kimi Raikkonen, making his second start with Trackhouse Racing, was 32nd fastest at 91.388 mph.

Back in the No. 84 for Legacy Motor Club, Jimmie Johnson was 34th fastest in practice. Johnson clocked in at 91.072 mph.

There were no major incidents in practice.

The extended practice was allotted as teams work with the new aero package being used on select short tracks and road courses this season, and COTA is the first road course race of the season.

RESULTS

Jordan Taylor looks ahead to NASCAR road course ringer role

It’s no secret that IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship star Jordan Taylor is a NASCAR enthusiast who has long dreamed of driving in a Cup Series race. For most drivers, if that opportunity ever arrives, it’s usually with a smaller team, perhaps …

It’s no secret that IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship star Jordan Taylor is a NASCAR enthusiast who has long dreamed of driving in a Cup Series race.

For most drivers, if that opportunity ever arrives, it’s usually with a smaller team, perhaps even a part-time effort. But when Taylor recently got “The Call,” it came from Hendrick Motorsports, the most successful organization in NASCAR history.

With 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott sidelined several weeks by a broken leg sustained in a snowboarding incident, Hendrick needed to temporarily fill the seat of its No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Short-track ace Josh Berry was retained to contest the oval races that Elliott will miss, while Taylor was tabbed to race this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas road course.

While the circumstances are not ideal, competing in the Cup Series car at COTA is still an amazing opportunity for Taylor and gives him the chance to expand his relationship with Hendrick, which is fielding the Garage 56 collaborative entry between NASCAR, IMSA and Chevrolet at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Taylor is part of that effort, serving as coach, mentor and potential relief driver for the nominated lineup of Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button and Mike Rockenfeller.

It was the Garage 56 connection that convinced Chad Knaus, Hendrick’s vice president of competition, that Taylor was the best choice as the road course substitute for Elliott, who has quicky emerged as one of NASCAR’s top road racers.

“Super exciting, obviously, and very unexpected,” Taylor said of the NASCAR opportunity. “Obviously being involved with the Garage 56 thing, I’ve been working with the Hendrick guys for a few months. When I signed up with them, Chad said, ‘I know this (relief driver role) isn’t what you wanted, but just being involved, you never know what it may lead to.’

“I’m super thankful for the opportunity,” he added. “It’s definitely intimidating to go into the race weekend in one of the best cars, but at the same time, not that many guys get that chance to be in such a good car.”

Because the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro is heavily derived from NASCAR’s Next Gen Cup car, Taylor has some idea of what to expect when he slides behind the wheel this weekend. He’s also watched hours of in-car video footage and logged as much time as possible in the driver-in-the-loop simulator at General Motors’ Charlotte Technical Center in North Carolina.

Still, when he steps into the No. 9 on Friday afternoon, it will be a step into the unknown.

“If the race was in three weeks, I would have moved to Charlotte for three weeks and spent as much time with the team as possible to get as much of an understanding as I can and get ingrained with Hendrick,” Taylor said. “(Crew chief) Alan Gustafson and Chase are texting me, and they’re the guys I can bounce questions off to try and get an idea how close the simulator can be to real life and understand what the differences will be.

“I’m doing a ton of homework and preparation so when I get to the track, it’s just understanding how to drive the car,” he added. “The car couldn’t be any more different than the Corvette we drive, and even the Garage 56 car. I know a lot of people think it’s going to be close to that, but it’s seven or eight seconds in lap time difference around COTA. So, it’s a different animal.”

One advantage for Taylor is his familiarity with Circuit of The Americas. He raced IMSA prototypes four times at COTA, winning twice, and more recently participated in Garage 56 testing. He is also fortunate that because COTA is the first road course on the 2023 Cup Series schedule, NASCAR is allowing 50 minutes of free practice. At many tracks in the post-COVID era, Cup Series competitors often go straight into qualifying without any practice whatsoever.

“When I signed up for it, there was only going to be 20 minutes (practice time), and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be insane!’” Taylor said. “Hopefully, they’ll give us a couple sets of tires, because it will be good to get a run, do a couple setup changes and get another set of tires to kind of understand how to use the new tire for qualifying, how the tires drop off and how to maybe manage them. That’s just another massive thing we’ve never experienced coming into the Cup Series.

“And honestly, the biggest part is understanding the pit stop procedure. I’m used to a pit speed limiter button; they’ve got to watch the dash. We tried that one time in the simulator, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done!”

From Dan Gurney to Boris Said, NASCAR features a lengthy history of “Road course ringers” brought in for those rare occasions when stock cars turn both left and right. At COTA, Taylor won’t be the only road racing specialist in the field; Button and Kimi Raikkonen, both Formula 1 champions, are entered. So is seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson, fresh off his recent IndyCar experiment and newly minted as a co-owner of the Legacy Motor Club Cup team.

Despite the combined pedigree of Johnson, Button and Raikkonen, expectations at COTA are somehow higher for Taylor. That’s what happens when you step into the championship-winning car normally occupied by NASCAR’s perennial Most Popular Driver.

“I know there’s a lot of hype about Raikkonen, Jenson, Jimmie and myself coming,” Taylor acknowledged. “I don’t even want to throw my hat in the same ring with those guys. I would be super excited to watch this race just to see how those guys would do against all the Cup guys.

“I know it’s a unique situation that I’m jumping in one of the best cars. If anybody has a shot of jumping in and figuring it out, hopefully it’s going to be in a Hendrick car. The only excuses are going to be the driver not figuring it out. That’s why I’m taking it so seriously and preparing as much as I can to hit the ground running.”

INSIGHT: Last-lap glory a long time coming for Logano at Atlanta

Finally. Joey Logano needed one word to encapsulate his victory Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang dominated the day by leading every lap on his way to winning the first stage, barely missing out on winning …

Finally.

Joey Logano needed one word to encapsulate his victory Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang dominated the day by leading every lap on his way to winning the first stage, barely missing out on winning the second stage and leading a race-high 140 laps led.

Logano pulled off his first Atlanta win in dramatic fashion. After going toe-to-toe with former teammate Brad Keselowski over the final 15 laps, Logano made a last-lap pass.

“We’ve been so close so many times here,” Logano said. “To get a win, it’s meant so much to me — just the memories. I was here when (Kevin) Harvick got his first win. I remember watching that from the grandstands and how cool that was.”

Harvick’s victory was in the spring of 2001, three weeks after the death of Dale Earnhardt. It was a turning point for the sport and shot Harvick, who was making just his third career start, to superstardom. Being in that same position as a NASCAR Cup Series driver was still far off for Logano.

But Atlanta would come to mean just as much to Logano and why his victory meant just a little more than an ordinary triumph. The memories he mentioned came from all the time the Logano family spent in the area and at the racetrack.

“Racing here with my parents running Legends cars,” Logano said. “Thinking about the first time we drove down here and driving through the infield tunnel and thinking this was the biggest racetrack we’ve ever been to. We were just down visiting and we met Kenny Ragan, who runs Legends of Georgia — David’s dad.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you race a Bandolero and give it a shot.’ We did that day. He let us rent one for the weekend, and we raced and then came back down here about six months later when we moved and started racing right here. Ran so many races.

“There are so many memories of showing up here … Wednesday nights and Thursday nights, we’d race. Our race shop was two miles up the road. I lived in the condo up there.”

In the FOX Sports broadcast booth for the Saturday Xfinity Series, the camera showed the condos over the racetrack, Logano mentioning his former living quarters. A graphic of his incredible performance on the Atlanta quarter mile as a young driver and the many races he won was also displayed.

Battling to the last lap with Keselowski made the Atlanta win dramatic, but it was more his family history there that made it so special for Logano. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images

But winning a NASCAR race at the facility didn’t come as easy. Before Sunday, Logano was 0 for 18 on the big oval, and his best finish was a second-place result from 2013. It had been one of only two top-five finishes for Logano at Atlanta.

“The dream was always to race on the big track,” Logano said. “Every time you run that quarter mile over and over again, the dream was someday I just want to go straight and hit the big banks. That’s what it was about for me.

“I guess this win here is for those kids; I got to meet a lot of them this weekend. I’m sure you saw them around, a lot of kids that race. It just shows you keep working hard and chasing your dreams, and the dream of always driving a Cup car into victory lane came true today. It was really neat.”

Not all drivers get to experience a full circle moment in their careers. And the longer a career goes spans, as Logano’s has with two championships, over 30 wins, including some of the sport’s biggest, and 15 years at the highest level, the less likely it is that a win will mean anything more than another trophy to go in the display case.

Logano got his long-awaited full circle moment and his 32nd career win that is more than just a win.

“That was cool,” Logano said of sharing that with his father, Tom, who met him on the frontstretch after he climbed from the car. “Obviously, I didn’t see him coming. I think that was neat to see that. There’s been plenty of times he’s run out to the start-finish line to give me a hug here, maybe 20-something years ago.

“This was kind of an emotional win when you think about what Atlanta Motor Speedway is all about to our family, the memories that are made here. This is one that we’ll definitely remember forever. It’s cool to have my dad here to celebrate with.”

Sick-feeling Reddick still manages top-five finish at Atlanta

Tyler Reddick pulled off a top-five finish in Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on a day when it looked iffy that he’d even get behind the wheel. So under the weather was Reddick before the race, 23XI Racing fitted John Hunter Nemechek to the …

Tyler Reddick pulled off a top-five finish in Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on a day when it looked iffy that he’d even get behind the wheel.

So under the weather was Reddick before the race, 23XI Racing fitted John Hunter Nemechek to the No. 45 Toyota. Nemechek was suited up and on the pit box all afternoon, ready to go if he needed to relieve Reddick.

Not only did Reddick make the race’s start, but he also went the distance in the 400-mile event without issue and was in contention for the race win. He ran inside the top three through the final laps and crossed under the white flag in fourth position before returning to a fifth-place result.

“I feel all right,” Reddick said afterward. “I picked a good time to kind of get over whatever was going on. Made it through the race; don’t feel too bad. I wish we would have finished better than fifth. I definitely wasn’t my best out there today, mentally. I made a few poor decisions, but we were thankfully able to bring the car home fifth.”

Reddick earned points in the second stage and kept his car in one piece. Running as high as second as the race wound down, he led the way in the outside lane as Brad Keselowski tried to keep the field at bay by moving from the inside to the outside lane.

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The race for the win came down to who made the right move at the right time. Joey Logano prevailed while Reddick was left lamenting what could have been if he was in a better state.

“Oh, yeah, every lap was an opportunity for sure,” the 23XI driver said. “I don’t know — I was just trying to think what the right time to make the move was, and I was trying to do it where me, Denny (Hamlin), and Christopher (Bell) could take advantage of the momentum.

“I just waited too long and put Christopher and Denny in a spot where they were ready to go before I was. So I have to work on that going forward.”

Atlanta was another much-needed result for Reddick and the team, however. After back-to-back DNFs to start the season, Reddick has made the finish in the last three races, and the performance and results are improving, helping them climb out of an early championship point standings hole.

Reddick has been seeking normal race weekends after a rough start. Aside from poor finishes, the team didn’t get on track before the race at Las Vegas because of an engine issue before practice and qualifying. They then pulled off a top-five result in Phoenix and did so again Sunday.

“Well, this weekend wasn’t very normal for me, I’m not going to lie,” he joked about his physical condition. “Yeah, I definitely could have made a lot better decisions on the racetrack, but we’ll take it. A fifth place isn’t bad.”

Blaney changes up his pit road MO and it bites back at Atlanta

Ryan Blaney rarely speeds on pit road in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Rarely, because Blaney takes measures to try and ensure he doesn’t cross that legal line. That conservative nature started to bother him recently, so he decided to get aggressive …

Ryan Blaney rarely speeds on pit road in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Rarely, because Blaney takes measures to try and ensure he doesn’t cross that legal line.

That conservative nature started to bother him recently, so he decided to get aggressive with his digital dash settings at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Not only did the move bite him, but it nearly ended his day.

“Well the bad thing is: I never speed on pit road,” Blaney said after finishing seventh. “I’m like the most conservative guy, and I kick myself for it. I’m like, ‘Man, I’m too far down on my pit road speeds.'” Down on the list of drivers, and I was like, ‘Bump it up a little this week,’ and I speed. Under green, too — the worst place you could speed.”

Blaney was called for the infraction on his lap 133 pit stop.

The pass-through penalty Blaney had to serve was exacerbated because pit road at Atlanta had been extended (measuring 3,968 feet) with the commitment line at the entrance of Turn 3. Pit road speed was in effect when a driver hit the commitment line and drove on the apron through Turns 3 and 4 and down pit road.

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“Luckily we only went down one lap and got the lucky dog,” Blaney said. “We were close to going two laps down there, but we tagged on with a few guys and were able to stay in front of that (main) pack. It was almost a day-ender, and luckily we were able to make some good moves.”

NASCAR officials decided to extend the length of pit road by moving the commitment line because of pack racing at Atlanta. But unlike Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, where there is a runoff area for drivers to pull off the track and slow for pit road, there is not at Atlanta. Officials did not want drivers trying to pull out of the pack at high speed off Turn 4.

Ironically, last year’s spring Atlanta race had no green flag pit stops, but the potential for them Sunday — coupled with the high stakes of speeding — was on every driver’s mind going into the weekend.

“Just making bold moves, honestly,” Blaney said of how he recovered from the mistake to finish in the top 10. “There’s not a lot of room to make moves, but you take a lot of the runs you can, and there was a couple of moves I made coming through the pack that I kind of cringed a little bit on, if they were going to work or not, and they did. So that’s just what you had to do.

“I probably made bolder moves than I normally do on speedways just because you have to here, and it’s so hard to go from the back to the front, and I was mad at myself. That’s pretty much what it came down to.”

Keselowski close but no cigar, still pleased with pace at Atlanta

Brad Keselowski came the closest he’s been in nearly two years of winning a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway until Joey Logano left him in the dust on the last lap. And yet, the former series champion was pretty content with …

Brad Keselowski came the closest he’s been in nearly two years of winning a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway until Joey Logano left him in the dust on the last lap.

And yet, the former series champion was pretty content with how it all went down afterward. Keselowski led 47 laps, including 29 of the last 30, en route to earning his first top-five finish of the season.

“Disappointed is a strong word,” Keselowski said. “I’m really proud of how we ran. Glad we’re leading laps. Glad we’re in position to win races. We’re controlling the things we can control.

“I’m disappointed that Joey got such a great run; I’ve got to take a look and see how…he pulled that off. But I’m not disappointed with my team.”

Keselowski and Logano engaged in a back-and-forth battle over the last 15 laps. After initially getting clear of the field with 29 laps to go, the No. 6 controlled the lanes while Logano kept trying to find a run, eventually getting a nose under Keselowski off Turn 2 with 13 laps to go. It pulled the lanes back even, and both fought for the edge.

The two stayed side-by-side until Keselowski got clear of the field again with five laps to go. But again, the run didn’t last. Coming to the white flag, Keselowski ran clear in the lead, Christopher Bell with Logano still charging on the bottom. Logano’s run came into Turns 1 and 2, and he jumped to the outside and around Keselowski.

The RFK driver had yet to see a replay when dissecting the end of the race but didn’t feel he could have done anything differently. It wasn’t that he thought he lost the race, but Logano won it on a great move. The only other move Keselowski had in his arsenal wasn’t one he wanted to pull.

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“He made a great move. He deserves credit for it,” he said. “I don’t really think there was any way I was going to stop that without wrecking us all.”

Former teammates at Team Penske, Keselowski and Logano were not unfamiliar with each others’ superspeedway prowess. But they were just two of the drivers in the main pack who put on a show as the race wound down, as the third and final stage saw the field run side-by-side more than it had in the first two stages — still a much cleaner race than the ones seen Saturday.

“This is actually one of the best races here, I think, you’re ever going to see,” Keselowski said. “I was really impressed that we were able to run the last 40, 50-something laps without everybody just wrecking each other.

“I think it was a good mix of drivers up front that ran smart races and showed you can run side by side and do this without wrecking each other. It really is the drivers that make the decision. I ran next to Joey, I think side-by-side, for 10 to 20 laps, and we were racing really hard, but we didn’t wreck each other. Tyler (Reddick) was behind me and gave great pushes, and he didn’t get crazy on them and cause us all to wreck. I really appreciate that.”

In addition to the laps led and the runner-up finish, Keselowski earned points in both stages. While it’s his first top-five finish of the season, Atlanta now makes two top-10 finishes, and he is fifth in the championship standings after five races.

“It was a good day; really solid,” Keselowski said. “I’m proud of our team, we’re just continuing to improve, and you need days like this. You just wish they were wins, but we were right there.

“It just didn’t come together there at the end. Joey got such a huge run down the frontstretch there was nothing I could do to stop it — other than wreck all of us — and that wasn’t going to do us any favors. Good day for our team overall; just one spot short.”

Including Atlanta, it’s been the best four weeks Keselowski could ask for. There is still speed to be found in his No. 6 Ford and execution that could be better, but the confidence is growing inside his team as they’ve made gains in the right direction from where they were this time a year ago.

“This is exactly the type of days we need,” Keselowski said. “Days where we score lots of points, we show people we can win races and we build our program.”

Logano uses last lap draft to snatch first Atlanta victory

Deftly maneuvering his No. 22 Ford through the final two laps of Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400, Joey Logano finished the NASCAR Cup Series race where he started-at the front of the field. With a push from Christopher Bell on the backstretch on the …

Deftly maneuvering his No. 22 Ford through the final two laps of Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400, Joey Logano finished the NASCAR Cup Series race where he started—at the front of the field.

With a push from Christopher Bell on the backstretch on the final lap, Logano moved to the outside of leader Brad Keselowski with huge momentum and charged past Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford into the lead.

Logano pulled down to the inside lane through the final two corners and crossed the finish line 0.193s ahead of Keselowski and 0.194s ahead of third-place Bell.

“Yeah, first off so special to win Atlanta for me,” said Logano, a Connecticut native who began to refine his talent racing Legends cars at Atlanta. “So many memories of me and my dad racing right here on the quarter mile. This is the full circle for us. So many memories gritting over there with the Legends car, racing, having a big time.

“Dreaming of going straight at the quarter mile and going onto the big track. That was always the dream to do it. To finally win here means so much to me here personally, but the team (too).

“The Auto Trader Mustang—this thing was an animal. Very, very fast. Able to lead a ton of laps, race really hard there at the end, get a good push from the No. 20 (Bell) to clear myself. Huge victory. Nice to get one early in the season. Always feels better, but what a great day for us.”

Logano’s first victory of the season and first at Atlanta was no surprise. On Saturday, the reigning series champion led eight Ford drivers into the top eight starting positions for Sunday’s race.

Logano won the first stage wire-to-wire, leading the first 63 laps. In Stage 2, he finished second to Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric. All told, Logano led 140 of the 260 laps. Keselowski was second with 47 laps led.

The victory was Ford’s first of the season after Chevrolet drivers claimed trophies in the first four events. Logano is the second straight driver to win from the pole at Atlanta, following Chase Elliott last summer.

Disappointed with second place, Keselowski was nevertheless elated with the quality of racing in the closing laps.

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“The coolest thing about this race is two veterans showed you can run a race here side-by-side, bump-drafting, and not wreck the field,” Keselowski said. “It can happen if you race respectfully. I thought everybody did a great job.

“We were right there. Proud of my team and the effort. Nothing much we could do there at the end.”

Not that there wasn’t plenty of action before the final laps ended with Logano’s 32nd career victory.

After two relatively placid stages where single-file racing predominated, the intensity increased exponentially as the end of the race approached.

On lap 190, one lap after Kevin Harvick had taken the lead for the first time, Chastain pulled up close behind Harvick in the draft. Harvick’s No. 4 Ford broke loose and triggered a massive wreck on the backstretch that involved 14 cars.

Harvick was eliminated, along with William Byron, Chris Buescher, Harrison Burton and BJ McLeod. The defending race winner, Byron was seeking his third straight Cup victory of the season.

“It looked like the No. 1 (Chastain) and the No. 4 just got connected there into Turn 1 and got the No. 4 loose,” Byron said after a mandatory visit to the infield care center. “It’s just part of racing. That’s the way it goes—not really in our control. We were up there running in the top-five and doing what we needed to do.”

Harvick’s assessment of the wreck was essentially the same.

“I think he just caught me so quick right there in the middle of the corner, and then he kind of was up on the right rear part of the (car) and he came back down, and when he came back down it just spun the thing out,” Harvick said. “I don’t think he actually even hit me, but it started chattering the rear tires, and then I was just along for the ride.”

Nineteen laps later, a five-car accident off Turn 4—triggered when one of then-leader Aric Almirola’s tires went flat—knocked Almirola, Kyle Larson and Daniel Suárez out of the race.

“There was nowhere to go,” Larson said ruefully. “Nobody had been having tire issues, so I wasn’t even expecting the No. 10 (Almirola) to have a tire issue in front of me. Even if I did, I didn’t have time to react.

“It’s a bummer. Just frustrating… I was finally up front on this style of race track and still end up with a DNF. I don’t know—just frustrating.”

Corey LaJoie finished a career-best fourth, followed by Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Ty Gibbs and Kyle Busch. LaJoie also gave Logano a push as the winner worked his way back to the front.

“I hope he gives me a shout-out for pushing him,” LaJoie said. “Gave him a good shot there at the end.”

RESULTS

One year on, Keselowski understands NASCAR’s penalty predicaments

As the first driver hit with an L2 penalty for modifications made to a single-source supplied part on the Next Gen car, Brad Keselowski understands the situation NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports are in this week. Keselowski, admittedly, is not …

As the first driver hit with an L2 penalty for modifications made to a single-source supplied part on the Next Gen car, Brad Keselowski understands the situation NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports are in this week.

Keselowski, admittedly, is not educated enough to speak to the specific issue with the Hendrick Motorsports louvers, not having seen the ones confiscated last weekend at Phoenix Raceway. NASCAR officials deemed they were modified and hit the team with 100-point deductions, playoff point deductions and fines.

A year ago, Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford was under scrutiny after the spring race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His car was one of the random cars taken by NASCAR post-race for further evaluation at the R&D Center. It was found that a tail panel had been modified, which Keselowski later explained was a repair job that could have been better, forcing NASCAR’s hand when it came to issuing a penalty and showing the pieces were not to be touched.

“It was tough,” Keselowski said. “Immediate emotions are to be frustrated and angry, but I don’t feel that way today. In fact, when I saw NASCAR a couple of weeks ago, we had a car get inspected after Daytona, I made a comment to them. Honestly, I told them, ‘Thank you. It’s one of the best things to ever happen to us.’ We came out of it better. It was good for the industry.

“From our perspective, it changed our culture inside of the company to where we had better behaviors. I thought it set a tone for the industry — again, I can’t speak for Hendrick, but with our issues.”

He was forthcoming with information after the process played out with RFK Racing losing its appeal. Not only did Keselowski say he understood the penalty (and later in the year said NASCAR has been too lenient and can control the garage by issuing penalties like candy), but he found the appeals process to be fair and different from what he anticipated. The co-owner continued to share those same sentiments Saturday.

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“I think I made a few comments a month later about the importance of penalties in the garage. They serve a purpose,” Keselowski said. “I think it’s really easy, and I’ve fallen victim to this as well – to look at NASCAR as the boogieman. In a lot of ways, they’re trying to help us and trying to help the sport and make sure that it can be healthy. Whether or not NASCAR is right or Hendrick is right with their penalty, I don’t know to that specific situation, but as a whole, I do understand the inclination and the emotion behind the teams and maybe the fans getting fired up over a penalty.

“But in the end, penalties are there for a reason. They’re there to make this circus somewhat manageable and sustainable, so as to what ends up happening with Hendrick, I can’t speak to it again, not knowing enough, but from my perspective and kind of having lived it, I’m probably 180 from where I was a year ago on it, and I understand it at a high degree.”

Hendrick Motorsports is arguing the parts are not being provided to the teams to the specifications they should be. The organization also said there’s been a lot of dialogue between the teams, manufacturers and NASCAR, but it changes weekly on whether the parts can be cleaned up if they don’t fit properly.

Both a driver and owner, Keselowski acknowledges there are issues with the parts. It comes down to ensuring teams have cleared any work with NASCAR.

“Yeah, there’s always a part somewhere that’s not what you want it to be, and there’s a portal that NASCAR has to submit those parts to, and there’s usually some dialogue and communication around that,” Keselowski said. “Generally speaking, I feel like NASCAR has been amenable to work through those and has gotten significantly better over the last year.

“We have parts, here and there, that are issues, and NASCAR has come up and said, ‘Hey, you can do this,’ or, ‘You can’t do it.’ It’s really more or less about the communication with them.”

‘We’ve got more to prove’ – Byron

William Byron not only seemed unfazed by the L2 level penalty his Hendrick Motorsports team incurred this week but said he was looking forward to the appeal process. “I can’t say the details of the penalty, of what goes on there, but certainly, I’m …

William Byron not only seemed unfazed by the L2 level penalty his Hendrick Motorsports team incurred this week but said he was looking forward to the appeal process.

“I can’t say the details of the penalty, of what goes on there, but certainly, I’m excited for the appeal and everything that comes with that,” Byron said Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “(We’re) just ready for this weekend. We’ve got more to prove and we’ll just keep going.

“It’s good to get two (wins) in a row the last couple of weeks. I feel like we’re on a good roll and this is a really good racetrack for us. We won here last year. I was looking forward to hearing Chad’s (Knaus) comments yesterday, and all that was good. So, looking forward to the appeal.”

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All four Hendrick Motorsports teams were docked 100 points and 10 playoff points after NASCAR officials confiscated the louvers off their Chevrolets after Friday practice last weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Earlier this week, officials deemed the louvers had been modified beyond the level of trying to make the parts fit correctly.

Byron, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Larson also lost 100 driver points. The four Hendrick Motorsports crew chiefs were suspended for the next four NASCAR Cup Series races and also fined $100,000 each.

Friday at Atlanta, Knaus said teams are not receiving parts to the correct specifications, and it’s a terrible position for the organization and the industry. Knaus also noted while the teams are being held accountable to present legal cars for competition, no one is holding the suppliers of the parts to that same level.

“When we started to get parts at the beginning of the 2023 season, we didn’t have the parts we thought we were going to have,” Knaus said. “Through a tremendous amount of back and forth with NASCAR and the OEM and the teams, there’s been conversations about whether we can clean up the parts, not clean up the parts and it’s changed, quite honestly, every couple of weeks. So, it’s been challenging for us to navigate, and we’re going to have to see what happens when we get through the appeal.”

Byron enters Atlanta as the defending race winner, coming off back-to-back wins at Las Vegas and Phoenix. Byron and his teammates were dominant during the Western swing, with over 500 laps led between the four of them.

All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are outside the top 20 in points. Byron and Larson have negative playoff points after the penalty. But Byron said it’s early in the season, and depending on the appeal plays out, his team will adjust. He anticipates the same speed and pace in their race cars and said the No. 24 team would continue to push hard each weekend toward the playoffs.

If anything, Byron is more motivated to succeed after the penalties.

“Absolutely,” Byron said. “I really get excited about coming to the racetrack right now. I was excited in the offseason with the group I know we have. So if anything, it just shows that we’re not there yet. We have more to prove, and we have more to go out there and accomplish. I think that’s a dangerous thing, right? We’re going out there with a goal in mind; a specific goal to win every week. We’re going to keep pushing for that every single week.

While drawing strength from his back-to-back wins, Byron is keeping the focus on how his 24 team can improve, noting that Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 actually looked more hooked up at Phoenix. Matt Thacker/Motorsport Images

“It starts during the week. A lot of the weekend stuff is a result of what we do and our processes back at the shop and communicating with one another. I think that process started on Monday as soon as we got back from Phoenix — what could we have done better at Phoenix? Because that’s a really important racetrack. There were certainly things we could have done better there. I thought the 4 car (Kevin Harvick) was the best car. I thought we were second or third-best, kind of right there with the 5 (Larson). So, I think there were things last week that we could have done better.

“We addressed all of that Monday and Tuesday and Tuesday night, turned the page to focus on Atlanta. Obviously, this place has been good for us in the past, but July wasn’t quite as good. So we looked at a lot of the things that Chase (Elliott) and the 9 team were doing really well here in July and tried to apply that to this weekend for us.”