Start: 17th
Finish: 18th

Stage One: 16th
Stage Two: 15th

Points: 12th

Joey Logano wrapped up his final day as the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion with an 18th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Logano started in the 17th position and would hold station in what proved to be a track position race. He radioed to crew chief Paul Wolfe he would need a big adjustment on his first pit stop to improve a loose-handling condition. Logano would finish Stage 1 in the 16th position. Stage 2 would see much of the same as the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang would remain on the free side. He remained around the top-15. Logano would contact the outside wall late in Stage 2; but would come home in 15th position. The final stage would see him make his way near the top-10 for the first time all day. He would run as high as 11th when the final caution of the day waved on lap 276. Unfortunately, Logano would be caught speeding on entry to pit road which forced him to restart 24th. Try as he might, Logano would rally for an 18th-place finish at the end of 312 laps of competition.

“Certainly wish we could have been more competitive with our Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Congratulations to Ryan [Blaney] and Roger [Penske] on back-to-back titles. So cool for the organization and proud of what the No. 12 team and everybody at Team Penske has accomplished.”

 

WHAT’S NEXT: The 2023 NASCAR Awards will be held November 29 and 30 at the Music City Center in Nashville.