Joey Logano started 12th and finished 10th in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Logano, who had already locked into the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field ran a methodical race and avoided the mayhem that would break out on Virginia’s “Action Track”. Logano had one of the strongest cars on long runs throughout the event, however, long runs were difficult to come by with a record setting 16 caution flags, including one red flag. After starting 12th, Logano was scored as low as 31st and ran as high as fourth on a cycle of green flag pit stops. When the team pitted for the final time, for four-sticker Goodyear tires, an air gun jam relegated the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford to the 17th position. From there, Logano would battle back to the top-10 before the checkered flag. With one points win coming at Michigan in June, Logano will enter the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup as the ninth seed. The team finished the regular season third in the championship standings after scoring 10 top-fives, 18 top-10s, three pole positions and a win. The team also won the 2016 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in May.

“It was a long night, just like everybody else. We had a good long run car and not a good short run car. It took us 10-15 laps to start clicking them off and then we were really fast but it was just too late. Those cautions were coming out like every 15 laps. Every time we got going a caution would come out. Overall we were a lot better than what we were in the spring, at least on the long run. The way the race played out with tires and short runs it just didn’t play in our favor. Overall I think our team is in a great spot right now, both the 2 and the 22. We are ready to fire away and see if we can put one of those Fords in victory lane.”