Shane van Gisbergen Dominates in Charlotte, Joey Logano Advances with Difficulty
Concord, N.C. – Shane van Gisbergen consolidated his dominance in the season by obtaining his fifth consecutive victory on road and street circuits, this time at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. In an emotional race, the current NASCAR Cup champion, Joey Logano, managed to advance to the third round of the playoffs, in a very close competition with Ross Chastain. Logano’s race was marked by an intense battle with Chastain, who was at risk of being eliminated. The situation remained tense until the last moment, when a crash on the last lap between Chastain and Denny Hamlin altered the result. Chastain finished in 21st position, just behind Logano.Hamlin, visibly annoyed, told his team that he was unaware of the situation and that he would not have passed Chastain if he had known it would benefit Logano. The competition reduced the group of drivers from 12 to eight. Logano’s position seemed secure, but uncertainty remained until the end. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell tried to challenge van Gisbergen, but the New Zealander prevailed and secured the victory. van Gisbergen’s victory eliminated Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing, and Austin Cindric of Team Penske, from advancing to the next phase. Chastain, of Trackhouse Racing, also remained in the fight, but Logano managed to secure his place in the playoffs.I didn’t know anything about what was happening in that last race, I wasn’t very well. I saw (Chastain) and I didn’t know anything at all. I didn’t know. I thought I was competing for 18th place. I wish I had known so I could have been prepared or made a different decision.
Denny Hamlin
Logano, celebrating amidst the boos of the fans, highlighted the excitement of the playoffs and the opportunity they still have in the competition. The result recalled what happened the previous year, when Logano was eliminated in Charlotte, but was then reinstated due to Alex Bowman’s disqualification, which allowed him to win the NASCAR Cup championship. Logano made a late pit stop to change tires, while Chastain did not, forcing him to push to the limit in the final laps.Everyone told me how close it was going to be. We’re still in it. We’re still alive, baby. I knew we were at a point and I knew we were going to be tied at the end and Ross was going to do whatever it took to make it happen.
Joey Logano
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, taking the cars owned by Michael Jordan out of the title contention.Unforced errors, it’s terrible. It’s heartbreaking for almost 200 Trackhouse employees. It’s not acceptable, simply unacceptable. Getting here and failing is a terrible feeling. I’ll wake up tomorrow and go back to work.
Ross Chastain
