Logano beats Kyle Busch in one of the best NASCAR Cup finishes of the season
Editor's Note: Full results, post-race notes and updated driver standings are at the bottom of this file
Joey Logano and Kyle Busch engaged in one of the best race finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series this season in the inaugural Cup event at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday.
Dubbed the "Enjoy Illinois 300," Logano certainly lived up to that billing, enjoying himself in victory lane when, after the dust cleared, and partly due to a late error on Busch's part when he went wide in a corner, Logano emerged victorious at the 1.25-mile oval.
Logano's win gave Team Penske a clean sweep for the weekend, as Will Power captured the final IndyCar race at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, as well.
"It doesn't get much better than that," Logano said after climbing out of his race car. "Racing for the lead like that with Kyle, one of the best, it was a lot of fun. Crossing each other back and forth, I knew it was coming. I did it to him, I knew he was going to do it to me. We crossed back and forth there in the last lap there a couple of times.
"Good for the Pennzoil Mustang, for sure. Nice to get a few wins on the season here, start collecting those points, playoff points. I'm out of breath. What a great car, though. Really fast. I kind of messed up in qualifying, and Paul (crew chief Paul Wolfe) made a great call putting two tires on. (Teammate Ryan) Blaney did a great job with the push down in the one, which kept me close at least and being able to make the move. Good racing there.”
The overtime win was Logano's second victory of the season and second triumph in the last four events.
Logano defeated the younger Busch brother by .655 seconds, while elder brother Kurt finished third, followed by Blaney and Aric Almirola.
"Got into turn one by myself and was too far back," Kyle Busch said of the closing lap battle with Logano. "When you are the guy on the inside, you just flush the guy on the outside and it’s over.
"I got a crossover though but threw it into (turn) three too far. It chattered all four tires. Just didn’t have any grip to get off the corner well enough to be on his outside, so I don’t know.”
Older brother Kurt added, "“I thought there was going to be a hand signal on when it was going to be go time and I was going to push the hell out of the 18 (Kyle Busch). We did the whole brother miscommunication. We should have won that. There should have been a Toyota in victory lane, a Busch in victory lane.
"Logano, he didn’t do anything smart – we just messed up on getting the launch. Then I wanted Kyle all on my own running 1-2, but what an awesome day for our Monster Toyota. We won a stage. I gambled on that, and then the team had my back.”
Finishing sixth through 10th were Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Saturday's Xfinity Series winner in Portland, A.J. Allmendinger.
The Cup Series now heads west to Sonoma Raceway for next Sunday's Toyota / Save Mart 350 before enjoying a rare weekend off on June 19.
