Tempers Flared as Logano Secured the Sword
Kelsey Christman - Staff Writer
Bristol, TN — The NASCAR Cup Series returned to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, with the high-banked short track once again providing an action-packed evening of racing.
The Busch family was in attendance as Ty Gibbs brought back the iconic M&M’S paint scheme, featuring a mural of photos honoring his teammate, Kyle Busch, who has established himself as one of the most successful drivers at Bristol throughout his career.
Qualifying and practice were canceled the day prior due to weather in the area, resulting in the starting lineup being set by the NASCAR metric formula. Kyle Larson started from the pole alongside Joey Logano. A competition caution was scheduled for Lap 40 in place of the canceled practice and qualifying sessions, giving teams an opportunity to make adjustments to their cars.
Team Penske showed speed throughout the opening stages with the No. 12 of Ryan Blaney and No. 22 of Joey Logano. Logano took the lead early and used pit strategy to his advantage, staying on the track for the entire stage to secure the Stage One victory. From there, Blaney took control of the race. The No. 12 led throughout Stage Two, earning the stage win and continuing to demonstrate the speed that would keep him at the front for much of the evening. Blaney ultimately led 202 laps.
Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick's difficult stretch continued at Bristol. The No. 45 Toyota quickly began losing positions during the opening laps, and the struggles continued throughout the race as Reddick eventually found himself multiple laps down. Reddick entered the season as one of the top championship contenders, but his position in the standings has continued to decline since the start of the playoffs.
On Lap 398, with only Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar remaining on the lead lap as the green-flag pit cycle was closing, Riley Herbst went up the track and made contact with Zane Smith. Herbst's No. 35 Toyota spun into the inside wall, bringing out the caution. Blaney had already reached the commitment line to pit when the caution was called. After receiving word of the yellow flag, he pulled back onto the track instead of entering pit road. The decision resulted in a commitment-line violation, sending Blaney to the rear of the lead-lap cars following the wave-around opportunity. Hocevar subsequently lined up at the front for the restart.
Thirty-four laps later, Hocevar and Gibbs battled for the lead as Gibbs attempted to make an aggressive three-wide move with two lapped cars. Alex Bowman was caught in the middle of the battle and was sent spinning after contact with Gibbs and Cole Custer. Gibbs and Custer were able to continue with minimal damage, while Bowman suffered significant damage and brought out the caution.
At the following restart, only 10 cars remained on the lead lap. The green flag had barely fallen before William Byron spun hard into the inside wall, bringing out another caution. Gibbs then moved to the front for the next restart.
As Hocevar and Blaney battled aggressively for second, Blaney moved low to defend his position. Hocevar continued to push the issue on the bottom, resulting in contact with the rear of the No. 12 Ford. Blaney's car was sent into the wall and sustained race-ending damage. Despite leading 202 laps and winning Stage Two, Blaney's night ended in frustration after running near the front for much of the race.
A third Hendrick Motorsports driver brought out a late-race caution when Chase Elliott spun on the frontstretch from the 22nd position on Lap 477. Another caution followed on Lap 486 when A.J. Allmendinger spun through Turn 2, setting up the final restart with just nine laps remaining.
Hocevar and Gibbs lined up side-by-side on the front row for what would be the final restart of the night. With the opportunity to win within reach, the battle for the lead immediately intensified. The No. 54 and No. 77 made contact as they battled for position, allowing Joey Logano to sneak through on the bottom and take the lead. Gibbs became loose following the contact and began to fade as Logano pulled away from the field.
Logano held on to secure the victory at Bristol, earning his third win of the season. After sitting 20th in the championship standings at Sonoma earlier this season, Logano has climbed to third in the standings as the playoffs continue.
Tempers flared following the race as Ryan Blaney remained on pit road to confront Carson Hocevar. A physical altercation followed before crew members and officials intervened.
UP NEXT:
The NASCAR Cup Series continues The Chase at Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, September 27. The race will air on USA Network at 3 p.m. ET.
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