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SPORTS A19
Monday 12 October 2015
Logano races into 3rd round of playoffs with Charlotte win
JENNA FRYER You can’t rely on any- then another.” Joey Logano poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning
AP Auto Racing Writer thing.” Things weren’t much bet- the NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race at Charlotte Motor
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Harvick, who didn’t lead ter for teammate Busch, Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015.
Joey Logano has been to a lap of a race that was who started second and
victory lane four times this scheduled for Saturday was one of the strongest Associated Press
season, and all four trips re- night but pushed to Sun- cars for most of the race.
quired him to beat reigning day afternoon because But running third when a and Kenseth are now in the got right now,” said Busch,
Sprint Cup champion Kevin of rain, was satisfied with caution forced teams to bottom four of the Chase who was eliminated in the
Harvick. second after struggling all choose a pit strategy, he standings. second round last year be-
The latest win, Sunday at weekend. headed to pit road, then “It’s tough, and we’re cause he was wrecked at
Charlotte Motor Speed- “If those are the off days, changed his mind at the going to have to battle Talladega in the elimina-
way, was a critical and we’ll be just fine,” Harvick very last second. Only through with what we’ve tion race.q
confidence-building vic- said. problem? Kyle Larson, run-
tory. He again shrugged Martin Truex Jr. finished ning second, decided at
off Harvick to earn an au- third — his career-best that moment he wanted
tomatic berth into the third eighth top-five of the sea- to duck onto pit road.
round of the Chase for the son — but wasn’t breathing The two cars collided and
Sprint Cup championship. any easier about his Chase both dropped to the mid-
Harvick, who has 11 sec- hopes. “Logano is the only dle of the pack during their
ond-place finishes this sea- one who is going to sleep respective repairs.
son, has been runner-up to the next few weeks,” Truex “I’m sure it doesn’t matter,
Logano three times. Har- said. “We still think we need but please apologize as
vick finished third in Loga- to win next week.” much as you can,” radi-
no’s win at Watkins Glen, The top six finishers were oed Larson, who is not run-
where Harvick ran out of Chase drivers as Denny ning for the championship.
gas while leading on the Hamlin finished fourth and Busch finished 20th and he
last lap. was followed by Kurt Busch
“When you can beat (Har- and Carl Edwards.
vick) any day, any time, Austin Dillon, who is not
that’s a big deal for us,” racing for the title, was sev-
team owner Roger Pen- enth. Jeff Gordon, making
ske said. “I think that it was the final start of his career
good that we could at at Charlotte, struggled for
least be on a level playing the first half of the race but
field with him today.” salvaged an eighth-place
Harvick led 581 laps in finish. Logano teammate
the opening round of the Brad Keselowski staved
Chase and routed the off a loose wheel over the
field last week at Dover to closing laps as Chase driv-
advance into the second ers took eight of the top
round. But he never made nine spots.
it to the front at Charlotte, It was a far more difficult
the opening race of the day for JGR drivers Matt
second round of NASCAR’s Kenseth and Kyle Busch,
playoffs, as Logano led 227 who started side-by-side on
of the 334 laps. the front row.
Now Logano, who made Kenseth’s race began to
it to the finale last season, unravel when he missed
doesn’t have to worry his pit stall and fell back
about this daunting sec- to 20th on a restart. From
ond round of the Chase. there, racing in traffic, he
The series races next week had contact with Ryan
at Kansas and then four Newman that sent him into
drivers will be eliminated the wall. It was the first of
Oct. 25 at Talladega. many brushes with the wall
“It helps us sleep here the for Kenseth, who also had
next couple of weeks,” to serve a penalty for too
Logano said. “This helps many crewmen working
us recharge our batteries on his car during one of his
and get ready for the next stops for repairs.
round.” He was finally put out of
He feels good right now, his misery when a broken
but isn’t crowing about his part sent him into the wall
head-to-head success this — again — and to the
season with Harvick. garage. He finished 42nd
“I think there’s a lot of fast and dropped to last in the
race cars out there right Chase field.
now,” Logano said. “Last “Everything kind of snow-
week, obviously, (Harvick) balled,” said the pole-sitter.
was dominant. This week “This is the best I can do. It’s
we had a really fast car. amazing I have a job. One
Next week, who knows? thing led to another and
