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Joe Logano pulls away to win

NASCAR race at Richmond

HANK KURZ Jr. ecution was there and we stop with about 80 laps to
AP Sports Writer were able to put ourselves go. The three stayed out
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — in position to race there hoping for a caution flag
Joey Logano smiled as if hard at the end. Brad was that would allow them to
he’d stolen something and the fastest car. He was so get new tires and remain
got away with it, and that fast.” up front.
wasn’t far from the truth. Keselowski got stuck be- Johnson eventually pitted,
Logano passed distract- hind some slower cars on and then he brought about
ed and dominant Penske the final restart, letting Lo- the caution when he side-
Racing teammate Brad gano pull away by nearly 2 swiped Earnhardt into the
Keselowski on one restart seconds. wall in the backstretch,
and then pulled away on “I think what we needed making the gamble pay off
another with about 20 laps was about 10 more laps,” for Newman, who was likely
to go to win the Monster Keselowski said. He led six to be passed shortly there-
Energy NASCAR Cup Series times for 110 laps after by the hard-charging
race at Richmond Interna- On the final restart, Lo- Keselowski.
tional Raceway on Sunday. gano had to get around “I just have to try to figure
“We were just fast enough Kyle Larson and five others out if I just didn’t hear it be-
to break through and kind who stayed on the track ing told to me or if it wasn’t
of steal a win,” Logano when everyone else pitted. told to me,” Johnson said.
said. “We had a decent He made quick work of “I just feel terrible, obvious-
car. We were in the lead that challenge and pulled ly.
when the caution came away while Keselowski and Man, I’m surprised our
out there and we looked Denny Hamlin got caught cars even kept rolling after
like we were in pretty good in traffic dueling for the that because I just body
shape, and then, obviously, second position. slammed him into the wall
to have the good pit stops “That’s part of how this rac- and I could have easily not
and all that, I don’t know if ing deal works, and the heard the clear or some-
you’d call that stealing. We fastest car doesn’t always thing else happened. I
didn’t get lucky. We were win,” Keselowski said. don’t know, but that’s the
able to just do what we Keselowski, who had the last thing you want to have Joey Logano (20) takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR
know how to do.” dominant car for the sec- happen with a teammate.” Cup Series auto race at Richmond International Raceway in
Logano, who qualified fifth ond half of the race, held Newman couldn’t cash in, Richmond, Va., Sunday, April 30, 2017.
but had to start 37th af- on for second, followed by however, failing to be a Associated Press
ter making a transmission Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse factor at the end and fin-
change, grabbed the lead Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Dale ishing 7th.
when Keselowski had to Earnhardt Jr., in his first race Pole-sitter Matt Kenseth led
make a defensive move to since announcing he will the first 163 laps, winning the pits. That also put him to track dramatically, and I
keep Kyle Busch from pass- retire at the end of the sea- Stage 1, and raced in the the back of the field, and think it makes it really racy,”
ing him on the inside. His son, finished 30th. top 10 until a flat tire with 35 he’d finally made it back Keselowski said. “’’I think it’s
18th career victory came “We just didn’t have the laps to go. into contention when the great.
in his 300th career start. speed that the other cars NO SMILE FROM KYLE second one ruined his day. I think some of the best rac-
“I was driving my guts out had,” a frustrated Ham- Kyle Busch was fuming after He finished 16th. ing here is during the day,
out there,” Logano said in lin said. “We finished right NASCAR flagged him for a MIXED BAG but it’s hot and I know it’s
Victory Lane. “That’s all I where we should have.” commitment line violation Richmond moved the race hard for some of the fans to
had. We won with a car Ryan Newman, Jimmie with 22 laps to go, dropping from its typical Saturday be up in the stands and go
that may not have been a Johnson and Dale Earn- him to the back of the field. night start time to Sunday through all that.”
winning car, so that’s some- hardt Jr. all took a chance It was his second penalty of afternoon, with mixed re- With temperatures in the
thing to be very proud of as when the rest of the field the day following an earlier sults. low 90s, the crowd was
a team. That means the ex- started making green-flag one for speeding entering “The day race changes this sparse.q