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race review

• Joey Logano started third and finished 15th Sunday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang fought handling issues throughout the race, with long, green flag runs offering few opportunities to improve the handling of the No. 22 Ford Mustang.
• Logano started third but slipped outside the top-five during the opening run of the race because the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was tight through the corners. Crew chief Paul Wolfe made adjustments during the competition caution on lap 27 with air pressure and tape on the nose. Wolfe made trackbar and air pressure adjustments on the second stop and Logano reported the rear tires stayed longer during that run, but he needed the front tires to bite more.
• Logano pitted following Stage 1 on lap 108 for a wedge adjustment and air pressure change for more turn on entry and secure corner exit. He made a scheduled stop under green on lap 160 for a significant wedge adjustment because the balance on his Mustang handling had not improved. Logano was credited with a 15th-place finish when Stage 2 concluded on lap 210 and he received the free pass back to the lead lap. The team pitted during the stage caution for wedge and trackbar adjustments to raise the front splitter off the track and improve the turning of the car in the corners.
• Throughout the third and final stage Logano wrested with a tight handling condition. He made a scheduled stop under green on lap 268 for four tires plus air pressure changes. But at the laps ticked away and the race drew to a close, Logano couldn’t make a rally towards the front, collecting a 15th-place finish.

 

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“Not the day we were looking for with our Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. Fought the handling most of the race and kept adjusting on it. We’ll keep working on the 550 tracks and we’ll get stronger. Congrats to Ryan Blaney and the 12 team. That’s a great win and the fifth straight at Atlanta for Ford.”