Van Gisbergen Unstoppable: 5th Road Course Victory; Logano Advances in Playoffs

Shane van Gisbergen Dominates in Charlotte, Joey Logano Advances in the Playoffs

Concord, N.C. – Shane van Gisbergen consolidated his dominance in circuit racing, obtaining his fifth consecutive victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In a competition full of emotion, the current Cup champion, Joey Logano, managed to advance to the third round of the NASCAR playoffs, in a dramatic duel with Ross Chastain. Logano’s race was defined in a close battle with Chastain, who was at risk of being eliminated. The situation remained tense until an incident on the last lap, involving Denny Hamlin, took Chastain out of the running.

I didn’t know anything that was happening, I wasn’t very good.

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin, visibly frustrated, expressed his discontent to his team, pointing out that he was not informed of the situation and that he would have acted differently if he had known it would benefit Logano. After the race, the group was reduced from twelve to eight drivers. Logano’s classification remained uncertain, as the last place depended on van Gisbergen not getting the victory. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell challenged van Gisbergen, but the New Zealand driver prevailed, securing the victory. This win knocked Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace from 23XI Racing, and Austin Cindric from Team Penske, out of contention for the last playoff spot. Chastain, from Trackhouse Racing, maintained hope, although Logano failed to secure his place in the playoffs with his Penske Ford.

We are still alive, we are still alive, baby!

Joey Logano

Logano recalled a similar moment from the previous year, when he was eliminated in Charlotte, but then learned that Alex Bowman had been disqualified, which allowed him to return to the competition and win the Cup championship. Logano’s strategy of pitting to change fresh tires contrasted with Chastain’s, who tried to extend the life of his tires. Chastain regretted the mistakes made, attributing them to early penalties that prevented him from competing at his best.

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 Logano from Penske, Chase Elliott, Larson, and William Byron from Hendrick Motorsports, Hamlin, Bell, and Chase Briscoe from Joe Gibbs Racing. Chastain, Cindric, Reddick, and Wallace were eliminated.