Joey Logano Scores Another NASCAR Xfinity Series Win at Watkins Glen
Joey Logano got past Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski with eight laps remaining in the 2018 Zippo 200 at The Glen.
Joey Logano continued his mastery of NASCAR Xfinity Series racing at Watkins Glen International in New York on Saturday, claiming his third win in the last four series races at the track in the Zippo 200 at The Glen.
With newer tires, Logano went from third to first on a restart inside the final 10 laps, getting by Brad Keselowski to take the lead. The two Team Penske teammates battled closely for the lead until Keselowski spun with three laps remaining and fell outside the top-five.
“It was all I had,” Logano said. “He [Keselowski] was definitely faster. I thought the tires would have been enough to be faster than him. I had good restart and got in front of him. He dogged me. These Xfinity cars draft quite a bit down these straightaways. It’s hard to pull away. A good car though. Not as fast as Brad’s, but it still felt good.”
A.J. Allmendinger passed Justin Allgaier to finish second in his first Xfinity Series race since 2013. Allgaier, Ryan Preece, and Aric Almirola rounded out the top-five. Keselowski wound up 10th.
After starting on the pole, Logano led the entire 20-lap distance of the opening stage, but after pitting on Lap 18, Keselowski stayed out between the two stages to take his first lead of the race.
A brief rain shower lengthened a caution on Lap 27, allowing for teams to put rain tires on their cars. With wets, a windshield wiper, and brake light added to his Chevrolet, Allmendinger restarted with the race lead and pulled out to a seven-second lead before the yellow flag waved three laps later. His cushion was erased, but he was able to remain up front for the Stage 2 win.
Racing in the rain
, Joey Logano makes laps on the wet surface at Watkins Glen International during the Zippo 200 at The Glen on Aug. 4, 2018., Getty Images for NASCAR“I figured I had the best guy in front of me with A.J. that I could just follow him. Then, I couldn’t follow him,” Logano said.
Just as Keselowski used pit strategy to take the lead to start Stage 2, he did so again to retake the lead for the start of Stage 3. Allmendinger restarted outside the top-10 after pitting between the second and third stages.
Then, Allmendinger struggled on pit road during a cycle of green-flag pit stops inside the final 30 laps. He was penalized for pit service outside his pit box. Thinking he only had to do a drive-through, he passed his pit box on his attempt to serve his penalty, but NASCAR called him back down pit road for a stop-and-go.
After the cycle completed, Keselowski and Larson battled for the lead. Larson, though, began suffering with an engine issue that dropped him outside the top-20 by race finish.
ZIPPO 200 AT THE GLEN RESULTS:
1. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
2. A.J. Allmendinger, No. 23 Chevrolet
3. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet
4. Ryan Preece, No. 18 Toyota
5. Aric Almirola, No. 98 Ford
6. Cole Custer, No. 00 Ford
7. Brandon Jones, No. 19 Toyota
8. Ryan Reed, No. 16 Ford
9. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
10. Brad Keselowski, No. 12 Ford
11. Tyler Reddick, No. 9 Chevrolet
12. Elliott Sadler, No. 1 Chevrolet
13. Austin Cindric, No. 60 Ford
14. Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Chevrolet
15. Kaz Grala, No. 61 Ford
16. Daniel Hemric, No. 21 Chevrolet
17. Michael Annett, No. 5 Chevrolet
18. Ryan Truex, No. 11 Chevrolet
19. Alex Labbe, No. 36 Chevrolet
20. Ross Chastain, No. 4 Chevrolet
21. Brian Henderson, No. 90 Chevrolet
22. Joey Gase, No. 35 Chevrolet
23. Garrett Smithley, No. 0 Chevrolet
24. Spencer Boyd, No. 76 Chevrolet
25. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
26. Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Chevrolet
27. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet
28. Mike Skeen, No. 15 Chevrolet
29. Chad Finchum, No. 40 Toyota
30. Scott Heckert, No. 8 Chevrolet
31. Victor Gonzalez Jr., No. 17 Chevrolet
32. Josh Bilicki, No. 45 Toyota
33. David Starr, No. 52 Chevrolet
34. J.J. Yeley, No. 38 Chevrolet
35. Vinnie Miller, No. 01 Chevrolet
36. Timmy Hill, No. 66 Dodge
37. Matt Tifft, No. 2 Chevrolet
38. Justin Haley, No. 24 Chevrolet
39. Jeff Green, No. 93 Chevrolet
40. Tommy Joe Martins, No. 78 Chevrolet
UP NEXT: The Xfinity Series will go road-course racing for the second-consecutive week at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington on August 11. It’ll be the second road-course race of three in a four-weekend period for the series. Sam Hornish Jr., who isn’t slated to be in next weekend’s race, is the defending winner. No current Xfinity Series regulars have a series win at Mid-Ohio.
