Joey Logano earned the pole position Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway and said after qualifying that “It’s always been a dream to win on this race track.”
That dream came true one day later as Logano took the checkered flag in Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400.
“(This is) so special to win Atlanta for me,” Logano reflected after the race with a grin stretching as long as the Atlanta Motor Speedway track. “So many memories of me and my dad racing right here on the quarter mile. This is the full circle for us. So many memories gritting over there with the Legends car, racing, having a big time. Dreaming of going straight at the quarter-mile and going on to the big track. That was always the dream to do it. To finally win here means so much to me here personally, but the team.
Logano’s 32nd career win ties him with Dale Jarrett for 27th on the all-time list. The No. 22 car has three top-10 finishes on the season.
Logano, who led for 140 of the 260 laps, had to come from behind with a last-lap pass to distance himself from former teammate Brad Keselowski just enough for his first victory of the NASCAR Cup series season.
Keselowski crossed 0.193 seconds behind after leading for the previous 29 laps heading into the final circuit.
Christopher Bell was third, Corey LaJoie took a career-best fourth and Tyler Reddick closed out the top five.
The first two stages featured only one caution for a single car spin, but a pair of crashes near the front of the pack curtailed the final surge to the finish.
Kevin Harvick lost control of his No. 4 Ford through Turns 1 and 2, resulting in a crash with 71 laps remaining that officially involved 12 cars. Harvick led just one lap and was relegated to a finish outside the top 30. The crash also eliminated last year’s race winner William Byron, who was bidding for his third consecutive Cup Series victory.
Harvick will look to have a better result in what will be his final start at AMS as a full-time Cup Series driver in July. NASCAR returns to the Georgia track for a summer weekend of racing at night, under the lights, headlined by the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart July 4-9.
Tickets and camping accommodations for Atlanta's summer NASCAR event are available now at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
