Cup Series: Logano wins a race of attrition in Texas

Sean McKean
May 5
5 min read

Written by Sean McKean

In a race marred by over ten cautions, Joey Logano outlasted the rest to take his first victory of the season. It was also Logano’s first top five finish.

As it unfolded

Carson Hocevar led the way from his first career pole and retained the lead, despite a brief challenge from William Byron.

The first caution came out on Lap 20. Trying to pass Daniel Suarez on the outside, Noah Gragson went for an unassisted spin in Turn 1. He continued without damage.

Everyone came down pit road under caution. By taking two tyres, Austin Cindric and Josh Berry became the new front row.

Cindric led the way on Lap 26.

The stage proceeded in a similar order until Lap 75. Cindric was facing pressure from Tyler Reddick for the lead when Denny Hamlin’s engine dramatically blew up — sending him into a spin. Hamlin went out of the race.

This ended the first stage. Cindric won followed by Tyler Reddick and Berry.

Stage 1 Results:

No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)
No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)
No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)
No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)
No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)
No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)
No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)

Everyone came down pit road yet again. Berry came out first ahead of Cindric and Kyle Larson.

Berry got an excellent jump to retain his lead on Lap 88, but at the end of the lap, Chase Briscoe hit the Turn 4 bump and went for a spin. Despite hitting the wall lightly, he drove away relatively undamaged.

Berry restarted as leader on Lap 94 and successfully defended from Larson.

Shockingly, Berry brought out the next caution. Whilst trying to pass Cody Ware on the outside, the Las Vegas winner also hit the Turn 4 bump, sending him backwards into the outside wall. He sustained big damage but continued.

With the caution coming out right in the middle of the stage, everyone decided to come down pit road. Larson came out first ahead of Hocevar and Ryan Preece. Todd Gilliland stayed out.

Gilliland initially led the Lap 132 restart, but Larson quickly swung by on the outside.

With five laps remaining in the stage, third-placed Chris Buescher suffered a puncture and had to pit. The caution came out one lap later for his tyre carcass on the track.

This brought an end to the second stage. Larson, Reddick and Alex Bowman headed the top three.

Stage 2 Results:

No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
No, 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)
No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 60 - Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)
No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)
No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)
No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)

Again, everyone came down pit road. William Bryon was the first out ahead of Chase Elliott and Cindric.

Byron led the way on Lap 172, but the caution came out on the backstretch on the very same lap. This happened due to a stack-up between Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman, resulting in Wallace spinning in front of the field and collecting multiple drivers. The aforementioned two, Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger and Chad Finchum.

Byron again led on Lap 179. Larson, however, took the lead on Lap 190.

Green flag pit stops began on Lap 209.

During the cycle, Jesse Love crashed on the backstretch on Lap 219. Coming off Turn 2, Love snapped loose and hit the inside wall.

Those who hadn’t already pit came down. Larson headed this bunch ahead of Michael McDowell and Ryan Blaney.

Larson led the way comfortably on Lap 226.

Only four laps later, Kyle Busch brought out the caution for a spin off of Turn 4. He raced on.

Larson led again on Lap 235, but once again, a caution came out shortly thereafter. This crash — unfolding after Carson Hocevar squeezed Ryan Preece into the wall — took out Hocevar; Preece and Cody Ware.

Larson controlled the restart, but Michael McDowell cleared him for the lead prior to Turn 1. Larson began to fade into the pack.

But only three laps later on Lap 247, another multi-car crash on the backstretch brought out the caution. This happened after Brad Keselowski went for an unassisted spin, collecting Kyle Busch, Cole Custer and Austin Cindric.

McDowell led with only 15 laps remaining, and as he was facing pressure from Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick spinning in the back brought out the caution once more. McDowell kept the lead.

10 laps remained as McDowell controlled the restart, and he successfully held off pressure from Blaney.

However, Joey Logano began catching the Daytona 500 champion by five laps to go, eventually culminating in a stunning pass down the backstretch the next lap.

Perhaps this showed the fragility of his 70-lap old tyres, as with three laps to go, Michael McDowell went hard into the wall with a flat tyre. He went out of the race.

This set off an overtime restart with Logano and Blaney heading the field. Logano took the white flag as leader and held on for his first victory of the season.

Provisional Results: