Logano shoves Truex aside for victory
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Joey Logano earned a shot the NASCAR championship title by using an old fashioned bump-and-run on Martin Truex Jr. to win the First Data 500 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.
Truex slid sideways across the finish line in third place and promptly declared Logano won’t take his title from him this year.
Logano won Sunday’s opening race to the third round of the playoffs by using the bumper on his Ford to shove Truex out of his way on the final lap. The contact caused both cars to wiggle, but Truex’s slide was nearly sideways while Logano corrected after a swerve and straightened himself out as he hurtled across the finish line.
Eight drivers started the day vying for the four spots in the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Now one of the slots is gone, to Logano of Team Penske, and NASCAR’s so-called “Big 3” is still trying to lock down a berth. Truex, along with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, dominated the regular season and as a trio were expected to make it to Homestead-Miami Speedway to race for the winner-take-all Monster Energy NASCAR Cup title Nov. 18.
Instead, Truex wound up third and was among the fans jeering Logano as he was interviewed post-race on the address system.
“We should be in victory lane right now,” said Truex, who stood on pit road alongside his Toyota and gave Logano a double thumbs-down gesture as the crowd booed the winner.
“He may have won the battle, but he ain’t winning the damn war. I’m not going to let him win it (the championship.) I’m going to win it.”
Logano seemed to be aware that the way he won was unpopular, but his eyes were on the bigger prize.
“Miami. I was thinking about how we could win a championship,” Logano said. “That’s NASCAR racing. That’s what the grassroots are, that’s what fans come here to see. Some may not like it.”
Logano led a race-high 309 of the 500 laps but had to contend with Penske teammate Brad Keselowski in the waning laps. Truex first got past Keselowski, who raced Logano so hard it is clear Penske does not have team orders, and got to Logano with 10 laps to go. Truex finally got the lead with one lap to go.