Logano races to victory in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS >> Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski were side by side off the fourth turn, two teammates fighting for the last burst of speed on the final lap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Logano barely managed to block Keselowski’s move, and the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion hung on for his first win in his title defense season. “That was more intense than I wanted it to be,” Logano said. Logano held off Keselowski on March 3 for his first Cup victory in Vegas, driving his Team Penske Ford to his 22nd career win. “There’s been plenty of times here when we’ve led a lot of laps here, but we’ve never won, and that’s the most important stat to have,” Logano said. “Something happens at the end, and Brad becomes the fastest car and he wins. I looked in the mirror, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is happening again.’” But after narrowly answering Keselowski’s last-lap passing attempt, Logano celebrated his victory in NASCAR’s first race under its full new rules package designed to foster tight racing and excitement. “What a great race,” Logano said. “Brad and I were so evenly matched, and you just can’t pull away (under the new rules). My heart is still running.” Excitement is exactly what NASCAR got on the final lap, although the quality of the 266 laps before that sharply divided drivers and observers — no surprise in a sport that rarely agrees on much of anything. The Vegas race featured no cautions, which meant the thrilling restarts expected under the new rules were limited to a couple of wild laps after the two segment breaks. “There towards the end, the way this drafting package, these rules work, it was intense,” Logano said.

JOHN LOCHER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Joey Logano does a burnout after winning the Monster Energy Cup Series race March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.