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NASCAR: Joey Logano wins at Las Vegas to keep amazing even-year playoff streak alive

nascar:-joey-logano-wins-at-las-vegas-to-keep-amazing-even-year-playoff-streak-alive
NASCAR: Joey Logano wins at Las Vegas to keep amazing even-year playoff streak alive

Nick Bromberg

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 20: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning he NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

It’s an even year, so Joey Logano is racing for the NASCAR Cup Series title again. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The even-year streak continues for Joey Logano.

Logano somehow saved enough fuel over the final stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas to hold off a hard-charging Christopher Bell and lock himself into the championship race at Phoenix in three weeks.

NASCAR implemented its multi-round playoff format in 2014. Logano has been among the four drivers racing for the championship in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and now 2024. He has not qualified for the title race in any other year.

“I don’t know what the deal with the even-year thing is, but maybe it’s real,” Logano said after climbing from the car.

Logano used a one-stop strategy over the final stage of the race as most other drivers in the field did two stops. Bell, who dominated the race, was one of the two-stop drivers. Had the race lasted a lap or two longer, Bell probably wins. Instead, Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe perfectly executed their fuel-saving strategy.

Daniel Suarez finished third ahead of William Byron and Alex Bowman. Just four playoff drivers finished in the top 10 as Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Tyler Reddick were all caught in a second stage crash.

Reddick’s car flipped over after Martin Truex Jr. slid up into Elliott. As Reddick was on Elliott’s high side, Elliott was pinched in the middle and the wreck also collected Brad Keselowski and Austin Cindric.

Blaney finished 32nd, Elliott was 33rd and Reddick was 35th.

Kyle Larson rebounded to finish 11th after pit stop issues under green. Larson had to pit twice during a green-flag stop cycle but was able to get his lap back and finish just a spot outside the top 10.

The crash really spread out the playoff field. Denny Hamlin finished eighth on Sunday but his struggles during the first part of the race ruined his chances for stage points. Here’s how the playoff standings look ahead of the second race of the third round.

1. Joey Logano [clinched]

2. Christopher Bell, 42 points ahead of Hamlin

3. Kyle Larson, 35 points ahead of Hamlin

4. William Byron, 27 points ahead of Hamlin

5. Denny Hamlin

6. Tyler Reddick, 30 points back of Byron

7. Ryan Blaney, 47 points back of Byron

8. Chase Elliott, 53 points back of Byron

Four drivers will race for the title at Phoenix, so if a different playoff driver wins each of the next two races in the third round, one driver will make it into the final round on points. The most points a driver can earn in a single race is 60 (40 for a race win and 10 points each for two stage wins), so Elliott and Blaney are already in a significant hole.

Race results

1. Joey Logano

2. Christopher Bell

3. Daniel Suarez

4. William Byron

5. Alex Bowman

6. Martin Truex Jr.

7. Ross Chastain

8. Denny Hamlin

9. John Hunter Nemechek

10. Chris Buescher

11. Kyle Larson

12. Bubba Wallace

13. Kyle Busch

14. Corey LaJoie

15. Harrison Burton

16. Zane Smith

17. Justin Haley

18. Noah Gragson

19. Daniel Henric

20. Michael McDowell

21. Cody Ware

22. Ryan Preece

23. Carson However

24. Josh Berry

25. Erik Jones

26. Chase Briscoe

27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

28. Jimmie Johnson

29. Shane van Gisbergen

30. Ty Gibbs

31. Todd Gilliland

32. Ryan Blaney

33. Chase Elliott

34. Austin Cindric

35. Tyler Reddick

36. Brad Keselowski

37. Austin Dillon

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