Van Gisbergen Chains 5th Victory on Mixed Track; Logano Advances with Drama

Shane van Gisbergen Conquers Charlotte and Joey Logano Advances in the Playoffs

In an exciting race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Shane van Gisbergen demonstrated his dominance by securing his fifth consecutive victory on road and street circuits. Meanwhile, Joey Logano, the current Cup champion, secured his place in the third round of the NASCAR playoffs in a thrilling finish. The competition was intense, especially for Logano, who was involved in a close battle with Ross Chastain. The latter, at risk of being eliminated, pushed Logano to the limit on the Charlotte hybrid circuit. Chastain seemed to have the advantage, but an incident on the last lap with Denny Hamlin changed the course. The crash sent Chastain into a spin, finishing in 21st position, just behind Logano.

I didn’t know anything that was happening on the last lap. I wasn’t performing well. I just wanted to finish in 18th place.

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin, visibly annoyed, expressed his frustration to the team, indicating that he would not have passed Chastain if he had known it would benefit Logano. After the race, the group was reduced from 12 to 8 drivers. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell tried to challenge van Gisbergen, but the New Zealander was victorious after an intense battle, securing the first position with 11 laps remaining. This victory eliminated the playoff hopes of Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing, and Austin Cindric of Team Penske. Despite their efforts, Ross Chastain failed to secure his place, while Logano managed to advance.

We’re still in the fight. We’re still alive, baby!

Joey Logano

Logano recalled a similar moment from the previous year, when he was eliminated from the playoffs in Charlotte, only to learn hours later that Alex Bowman had been disqualified, allowing him to return to the competition and eventually win the championship. Logano made a late stop to change tires, unlike Chastain, who had to push himself to the limit to make his tires last until the end.

Unforced errors, it’s terrible. It’s heartbreaking for nearly 200 Trackhouse employees.

Ross Chastain

The eight drivers advancing to the third round of the playoffs are Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano from Penske, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and William Byron from Hendrick Motorsports, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Chase Briscoe from Joe Gibbs Racing. Chastain, Cindric, Reddick, and Wallace were eliminated, leaving the cars owned by Michael Jordan out of the title contention.