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Joey Logano wins Cup Series race at Las Vegas

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Joey Logano discusses winning the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas and the miscommunication between him and his crew chief that led to a botched final pit stop.

Joey Logano won Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway under caution, beating Matt DiBenedetto after a wreck unfolded right as the field took the white flag.

Logano came out on top in what was supposed to be a two-lap shootout after he stayed out of the pits under caution after not understanding his crew chief’s instructions to pit.

He assumed the lead from teammate Ryan Blaney, who was directed to pit by his new crew chief, Todd Gordon.

“I should have left you out. My gut told me to. I didn’t. My bad,” Gordon told Blaney over the radio after the race.

It is Logano’s second straight win in the race and it’s his first win with new crew chief Paul Wolfe. The race was their second together after an offseason crew chief swap by Team Penske. The win snapped a 22-race winless streak for Logano (Michigan, June 2019).

“I’m not really sure what I was supposed to do (under the final caution), but boy, we fought hard for this one today,” Logano told Fox. “Man, what a battle between Blaney and I and Chase Elliott and (Martin Turex Jr.) earlier in the race, and then to see this finish with Matt finishing second is great day for Wood Brothers and for Team Penske.
“Man, nothing like winning the Pennzoil 400 in front of this amazing crowd with this awesome yellow car right here in the front. Man, this is a huge win, and nice to kick off the season with a W.”

The top five was completed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon and Jimmie Johnson.

Logano’s No. 22 Ford and DiBenedetto’s No. 21 Ford each were on 50-lap tires at the end of the race. Stenhouse was on 44-lap tires.

Brad Keselowski, who finished seventh, was the highest placing driver among those who took fresh tires on the pit stop before the final restart.

The final run to the checkered flag was caused by a Ross Chastain spin with six laps to go. Chastain, who finished 27th, was driving in substitution for the injured Ryan Newman.

STAGE 1 WINNER: Chase Elliott

STAGE 2 WINNER: Chase Elliott

More: Race results, point standings

WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: Matt DiBenedetto matched his best Cup finish and earned his first top-10 finish on a 1.5-mile track ... Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned his best Las Vegas finish and JTG-Daugherty Racing’s first top five on a 1.5-mile track ... Jimmie Johnson earned his first top five since last July’s Daytona race ... Brad Keselowski earned his 10th straight top 10 at Las Vegas, the longest streak ever for the track ... Ty Dillon placed 10th for his first top 10 on a 1.5-mile track.

WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Daniel Suarez finished four laps down in 30th after his car suffered a mechanical problem right as the field took the initial green flag. It continues an abysmal start to the year for Gaunt Bros Racing after Suarez failed to make the Daytona 500 … Rookie Christopher Bell placed 33rd after he spun and hit the backstretch wall with two laps left in the second stage … Chase Elliott won the first two stages, but finished 26th after his left-rear tire went down and he tagged the wall in Turn 1 in the middle of the final stage ... Joe Gibbs Racing had an overall day to forget, with Kyle Busch its highest finishing driver in 15th. It’s the first time since the Charlotte Roval in 2018 that a Toyota didn’t finish in the top 10.

WHAT’S NEXT: Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway at 3:30 p.m. ET March 1 on Fox