Joey Logano worked overtime — 31 extra laps — and withstood nearly running out of fuel to win the Ally 400 at Nashville Speedway last week.
Racing's top circuit hits the streets of downtown Chicago for the Chicago road course race this weekend.
It was the two-time series champion’s first victory of the season and locked him into the playoffs to try for a third title. Logano did win NASCAR’s All-Star race at North Wilkesboro two months ago. Zane Smith was second, Tyler Reddick third, Ryan Preece fourth and Chris Buescher fifth.
The race at Nashville went five overtimes and 31 addition laps past the 300 planned. It ended more than six hours after it began. That also encompassed a lengthy rain delay.
Kyle Larson remains on top in the driver standings, 20 points ahead of Rick Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott. Denny Hamlin is third. Larson, Hamlin, William Byron and Christopher Bell all have a series-best three victories this season.
Martin Truex Jr., in his final season of full-time racing, is fifth and the first driver without a win in the playoff grid.
Logano’s win means 11 drivers have victories this season with just five spots for points qualifiers. There are seven events left in the regular season, which concludes with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 1.
New Zealand’s Shane Van Gisbergen made NASCAR history when he became the first to win his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 when he won a rain-shortened event at Chicago. The race went just 78 of the scheduled 100 laps because of a late start and impending darkness. Justin Haley finished second with Elliott, Larson and Kyle Busch rounding out the top five.
Practice and qualifying is at 11:30 am Saturday morning. Race time is Sunday at 3:30 pm.
John Hunter Nemechek took off on a restart on Lap 142 and drove off to victory at Nashville Speedway on Saturday. It was Nemechek’s second victory this season and gave powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing five wins this year with four different drivers.
The XFinity Series joins the Cup cars in Chicago this weekend.
Nemechek has two wins for JGR with Aric Almirola, Ryan Truex and Christopher Bell winning the other three in the No. 20 car. Custer continues leading the points standings and continues looking for his first win this season. Custer’s Stewart-Haas Ford finished ninth behind Nemechek. Ty Gibbs started from the pole and won a stage, but dropped out of contention after connecting with Justin Allgaier.
Chandler Smith is 15 points behind series leader Custer. Allgaier is next in third, overtaking Austin Hill, who dropped to fourth.
Custer, the eventual series champion, won the inaugural Chicago street race that went less than halfway due to a weekend of rain. Organizers stopped the race on Saturday some 25 laps in and expected to finish Sunday before the Cup Series. But more rain ended those hopes.
Practice and qualifying is at 9 am Saturday morning. Race time is 2:30 pm Saturday afternoon.
The Craftsman Truck Series returns to action next Friday night at Pocono.
