CP MOTORSPORTS - LOGANO CASHES MILLION DOLLAR CHECK, WINS SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE
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Joey Logano is one million dollars richer after good timing and hard driving. In an undoubtedly confusing race format, Logano happened to be there at the end to make a tough pass on then-leader Kyle Larson in the exhibition race's final laps.
Although there appeared to be no contact between Logano and Larson, the No. 42 Target Chevrolet driven by Larson made hard contact with the outside wall forcing him to a 16th finish.
Logano believes the win with a little amount of track time shows the strengths of his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil race team.
"It says a lot about our race team to unload today with a complately new package, have ten minutes of practice and say, 'the car's pretty good'," Logano said.
Logano admits the race's format had him a bit lost but felt there was a simple solution to remedy the confusion.
"All I knew was if there was a car in front of me I should pass them," Logano explained. "That's kind of where my head was. It doesn't have to be as complicated as you think it is."
Brad Keselowski ensured a one - two finish for the Team Penske Fords by driving his No. 2 Miller car to a second place finish. While Keselowski has yet to win an All-Star Race, he was happy for his teammate's success.
"I'm really happy for my teammate Joey Logano," Keselowski said. "He did exactly what you would expect out of an All-Star race format and made a pretty incredible pass to win the race so I'm happy for Team Penske as a whole but of course I wish it was me in victory lane."
Keselowski by all accounts was the driving force for the race's format and defended it following the race.
"There was a next to last lap pass for the lead, there were several passes for the lead, the last four races there hasn't been a pass for the lead in the last 20 or 30 laps," Keselowski explained. "I think our fans deserved a better format than that and they got that today. I don't know how you can get much more compelling racing than we got today. They need to get unconfused and enjoy the racing."
Dale Earnhardt, Jr, finished in third place followed by Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch rounding out the top-five finishers.
Rookie Chase Elliott won the Sprint fan vote to become eligible for the race but he translated that to a sixth place finish. Trevor Bayne took home a seventh place finish while Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch all took home spots inside the top-ten.
Racing in his final Sprint All-Star race of his championship career, Tony Stewart was involved in an accident 20 laps into segment number two after the field bottled up to avoid a slower car.
Stewart, who has always been known to speak his mind, pulled no punches about this years All-Star race format.
"I'm as baffled as everybody," Stewart told TV reporters after being checked and released from the infield care center. "I don't know how in the hell we were scored a lap down after they stopped the No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) car and they pit everybody together.
"It's the most screwed-up All-Star Race I've ever been a part of, and I'm glad this is the last one."
Race Results
Charlotte Motor Speedway
32nd Annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
UNOFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics Saturday, 5/21/2016 @ 12:11 AM Eastern UNOFFICIAL
Fin Str Car Driver Team Lap Pts BPts Status TLd LLd
1 8 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 113 0 Running 2 12
2 6 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 113 0 Running 2 39
3 10 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Mountain Dew Chevrolet 113 0 Running
4 4 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Surfboard Toyota 113 0 Running 3 4
5 3 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet 113 0 Running
6 7 24 Chase Elliott # 3M Chevrolet 113 0 Running
7 15 6 Trevor Bayne Advocare Ford 113 0 Running
8 20 16 Greg Biffle Cheez-It Ford 113 0 Running
9 12 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 113 0 Running
10 2 75 Kyle Busch M&M's 75th Anniversary Toyota 113 0 Running 3 15
11 1 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Light Chevrolet 113 0 Running 1 21
12 5 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 113 0 Running
13 14 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar/Grainger Chevrolet 113 0 Running
14 9 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row Toyota 113 0 Running
15 19 10 Danica Patrick Nature's Bakery Chevrolet 113 0 Running
16 18 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 111 0 Accident 1 18
17 13 1 Jamie McMurray BassProShops/NationalTurkeyFoundation Chev 110 0 Running
18 11 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 71 0 Accident 1 4
19 16 5 Kasey Kahne Drive Home A Winner Chevrolet 71 0 Accident
20 17 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet 70 0 Accident
# = Rookie, Fin = Finish, Str = Start, Pts = Total Points, BPs = Lap Leader Bns Pts, TLd = Times Led, LLd = Laps Led. (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Average Speed: 98.103 MPH Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 43 Mins, 40 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.142 Seconds
Lead Changes: 13 among 7 drivers Cautions: 4 for 18 laps