|
 "I thought he was running out of gas out of the carousel, there,"
Logano said. "You could tell his car was slowing down a little big,
and then it really slowed down. I was like, 'Alright, I've got
something here. Don't screw this up.'"
It was Logano's first Sprint Cup win on a road course and Team
Penske's first win at Watkins Glen.
"I'm still just trying to catch my breath," Logano said. "I was
really excited after that one."
Kyle Busch finished second, and Harvick coasted to the finish line
to finish third. Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch rounded out the top
five.
"Well, it was fun and challenging all at the same time, and I guess
that's all we can ask for as race car drivers," Busch said.
Harvick, Kenseth and others last pitted for fuel and tires just
before a red flag for track clean-up on lap 51 of the 90-lap race.
Kyle Busch stayed out during that caution to restart the race
fourth, and then he took the lead a few laps later.
The yellow flag waved for a fifth and final time on lap 57. Kenseth
and Harvick restarted on the front row after staying out, while
Logano and Kyle Busch restarted several positions behind them after
pitting. Logano got off pit road first after taking fuel only, while
Busch was behind him with fuel and newer tires.
"There really wasn't any discussion (about strategy)," Logano said.
"I just do what he (crew chief Todd Gordon) tells me to do. That's
why he gets paid the big bucks. That's why I drive the car. We know
our roles, and that's what I talk about all the time is I don't try
to crew chief this thing, because I know I've got someone smarter
than me on the box."
Harvick took the lead from Kenseth on the lap 61 restart, and
Harvick and Kenseth ran first and second until the race entered its
final 10 laps. Inside 10 laps to go, Logano got by Kenseth for
second, sending Kenseth into Busch's clutches. Busch quickly got by
him for third, but he was a distant third behind Harvick and Logano.
[to top of second column] |
"I was running down Harvick there for a little bit, and once I got
close to him, he started to pick up his pace a little bit, which was
good because I needed him to run out of gas. I started to catch him
a little bit and I drove into one too hard and started to wheel hop.
I just about lost it and at the point you just hope he runs out of
gas, which he did in the last corner."
A.J. Allmendinger started the race on the pole and led the first 20
laps before losing the top spot to Martin Truex Jr. on lap 21. Both
Allmendinger and Truex led most of the field down pit road during
the first caution on lap 25, while Cole Whitt and Brad Keselowski
led a few cars that opted to stay out on the race track.
Keselowski took the lead on the restart and continued to run up
front until losing the lead to Kyle Busch just before the final
yellow flag.
NOTES: Tony Stewart is the all-time wins leader at Watkins Glen
International with five victories. Sunday's race was his first race
at The Glen since 2012 after missing the races in 2013 and 2014. ...
Jeff Gordon, a four-time winner at The Glen, is the all-time
winningest driver on road courses with nine wins. Stewart is second
with seven. ... A.J. Allmendinger claimed his first career Sprint
Cup Series win in last year's race at WGI. ... Joey Logano won the
NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen on Saturday. His Team
Penske teammate Brad Keselowski finished second. ... The Cheez-It
355 was the second road course race of the season. Kyle Busch won
the first one at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June.
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