Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway (two-mile oval, Brooklyn, MI)

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion driven by Joey Logano

Sunday, August 18, 2013

• Joey Logano earned his sixth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole position when he led qualifying for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. Logano’s qualifying speed of 203.949 mph was the ninth-fastest qualifying lap ever turned in Sprint Cup Series history.
• Logano spun his tires on the initial start of the race and settled into second position, as he reported that the car was handling both loose and tight, depending on how he drove it into the corners.
• The 23-year-old was able to race to the lead for the first time on lap six and held it until he fell back to fifth with an ill-handling car on lap 33.
• Pit strategy played a factor in the event all afternoon long. As some teams took two tires and some took four, Logano dropped to ninth place after the first round of stops, which was as far back in the pack as he would run all afternoon.
• Crew Chief Todd Gordon made minor adjustments to the Shell-Pennzoil Ford throughout the day and the car continued to come around for Logano as he started making his way back to the front of the field.
• On lap 138, Logano reclaimed the top spot and held onto it until the final round of pit stops.
• On the final restart of the day, Logano found himself in the fifth position. However, a great start allowed him to jockey for position and pass the No. 29 car of Kevin Harvick and he then set his sights on the leader Mark Martin, who was hoping fuel strategy would help him win the race.
• Logano was able to chase Martin down, but before he could pass him, Martin ran out of fuel with just three laps to go. Logano pulled away from Harvick en route to the victory – his first Cup Series win with Penske Racing.
• Logano led three times on the day for 51 laps in the Shell-Pennzoil Ford, the most of any driver in the race.
• The win put Logano right back in the hunt for a spot in the Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship. Logano moved up to 13th in the point standings and he is now just seven points behind the final Chase wild card spot with three races remaining.
• The win was Logano’s third-career Sprint Cup Series victory. It marked the first Cup win for Gordon.

TALK ABOUT THAT LATE-RACE RESTART AND CHASING DOWN MARK MARTIN:

“When you are starting on the inside lane you are pretty much in trouble. You can’t really do much. I was able to get a good run on the 29 (car) and I took advantage of that opportunity. I knew if I followed him through turn one I was going to get freight trained and be pretty far back. I was trying to chase down the No. 55. I noticed he was lifting early because I was catching him on entry. He was able to pull me on exit. I wanted to get by him because I knew the 29 was fast too. It is crazy racing Mark Martin, my childhood hero, I was able to race against him in Pocono last year for the win. It is so cool racing against a guy like that.”

TALK ABOUT THE WIN AND YOUR CHASE HOPES:

“We are getting closer to the Chase. We have gone through a lot this season and it is well deserved. What a great place to win and a great time to win being in Ford’s back yard and coming up to the Chase like this. Being in Roger (Penske’s) back yard it was a great opportunity for me and I am glad we delivered. This is huge for our Chase hopes. We needed this to have a shot at getting in the Chase. We are close now but we can’t make any mistakes. This sure does help a lot.”