To be honest, Joey Logano had almost no chance to win at Nashville. Not only did he end up in the longest crisis of his career, but he also started the race in 22nd place. But as they say, never say never, because in the end, he actually won.
The race dragged on for a record five overtimes, and fans held their breath to see who would come out on top. And Joey Logano managed to shine in the eyes of all the fans, even though he only led nine of the 330 laps. Plus, he had it all against him from the get-go, from the starting line to the various challenges during the race. But what ultimately saved him was a fuel-saving strategy and good old-fashioned driving.
Joey Logano had the universe on his side as he clinched victory at Nashville
Zane Smith was confident he could win the Ally400. He kept hearing that Joey Logano, who was driving in front of him, was low on gas and didn’t know when he would run out of gas. But instead of that moment, Logano’s victory came after a kind of gamble. He pitted before Smith, but his tank lasted longer. It’s also important to know that the refueling window at Nashville Superspeedway is 80 laps, and he completed 110 laps on his last tank.
Author Kelly Crandell wrote: “What I’m trying to say is that Logano and his team won the race on a nearly empty tank. He drove much further than expected and was able to make enough savings despite all the warning signals.” After a third overtime lap, when Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. had to pit for gas, Joey Logano took the lead. He was on the verge of winning, but then he got a caution.
Knowing that a pit stop would likely cost him his chances at victory, Logano and his crew chief decided to take a risk and not pit, hoping for the best. And in retrospect, it worked out well.
After the race, Joey Logano told SiriusXM: “When you think about what it takes to win a race like this, it’s really crazy to go 30 laps over the scheduled distance. Still, I have to thank the fuel economy and the gas station attendant Nick Hansley for putting gas in the tank, which is great. And Paul has the guts to leave me out there.
It’s pretty risky, especially when you’re on the cut line, but it was definitely worth the risk today.” He also said he felt comfortable passing Hamlin. And just when he was feeling good, Reddick gave him a little shiver with new tires. Despite being a little out of gas, he made it through. Well, it seems he had luck, or should I say the universe, on his side and managed to get his first win of the season after a long streak of 49 races. However, he didn’t have the fastest car crossing the finish line, it was Reddick, and that’s what’s bothering him!
Tyler Reddick was frustrated over his P2 finish at Ally 400
Tyler Reddick fought for the win but was not satisfied with the race result. Many drivers on the field were struggling with fuel issues so the 23XI driver felt he could win the race. In fact, he had an advantage because he pitted just before the first overtime. Joey Logano also mentioned this after the race. He said “Tyler (Reddick) had the fastest car at the end, but we were able to stay in front of him.” I’ve never been in a race where fuel economy is an issue. This is a big one.”
When NASCAR announced the fifth and final overtime, he was one of the best. But the Tom and Jerry hunt was about to begin! Reddick chased race leader Joey Logano to move into second place, but because he was busy, Smith ran down the backstretch and took second from him. Reddick finished third, but was not satisfied with it. He expressed his frustration, saying, “I’m doing my best, but it’s difficult… I’m trying to stay calm right now.” I’m really disappointed with this result.” He’s obviously unhappy with how things ended. Last year he had two wins, at COTA and Kansas.
This season he secured a spot in the playoffs with a win at Talladega, but he’s yet to get that nice second win. Plus, things don’t look good for the whole team, with Bubba Wallace looking like he’s in a tough spot and probably not going to make the playoffs. So the pressure could be weighing on him to do a better job to make up for it. What do you think? He’ll win soon – maybe in Chicago? Tell me what you think!
