Joey Logano seizes restart, wins Sylvania 300
LOUDON, N.H. - Using a bold backstretch move to take the lead from Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano went to the front of the field on a restart with 26 laps to go and remained there, as the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford captured the checkered flag in Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the second event in the three-race Challenger Round of NASCAR's revamped Chase playoff format.
Logano, 24, of Middletown, Conn., who recorded his first career Cup victory at NHMS, survived a green-white-checkered finish over runner-up Kyle Larson to become the second Penske Racing driver in as many Chase races to automatically qualify for the 12-driver Contender Round.
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'This is the coolest place for me to win a Cup race,'' said Logano, who recorded his fourth Cup victory of the season. 'I remember coming here to watch a Cup race when I was 5. To me, it's my home track and it means so much to me.''
Logano's teammate, Brad Keselowski, winner of July's Camping World RV Sales 301 at NHMS, won last weekend's Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway to earn an automatic bid in the second round.
Keselowski, the top seed in the Chase, won the pole position Friday in record fashion with a fast-lap of 140.598 miles per hour. He wound up finishing seventh.
Harvick, who led the most laps with 104, finished third after Larson passed him on the final restart. The race went into overtime when Tony Stewart's spinout on Lap 297 produced the race's 15th and final caution.
Larson, who finished third in July's race at NHMS, was highest finisher among the non-Chase drivers in the 43-car field. Larson was one of three non-Chasers who finished among the top 10, joined by Jamie McMurray (4th), Brian Vickers (10th) and fellow rookie driver Austin Dillon (10th).
'Feels good to go on to the next one,'' Logano said. 'But we have to keep doing what we're doing and keep our eyes on the big prize.''
Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com.
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