BRISTOL, Tenn. – Joey Logano surged past Matt Kenseth with 44 laps to go and won for the first time in his career at Bristol Motor Speedway, foiling Kenseth's gambling attempt to secure a spot in NASCAR's playoffs.
Logano became the fifth driver this season to win three times, joining the Hendrick Motorsports trio of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and teammate Brad Keselowski, who finished second.
"It's awesome," Logano said in Victory Lane. "I've never won more than one race in a season, and now I've won three."
Kenseth elected to stay on the track when most of the field pitted after a caution flag with 67 laps to go, picking track position over new tires. But once the green flag flew again, Logano and then Keselowski proved the choice faulty for the 2003 series champion.
Denny Hamlin got spun out and wrecked while racing as the leader by Kevin Harvick, and Hamlin later fired his head and neck restraint device at Harvick's car as it passed under caution.
Hamlin appeared to adhere to NASCAR's new rule of staying in your damaged car until safety crews arrive, and photos showed he was clearly on the apron when he banked the seat restraint off Harvick's car.
The accident happened as Hamlin was taking the high line through a turn and Harvick was sliding up from below to get into line, Instead, he clipped the left rear of Hamlin's car, sending it spinning and into the wall. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also got collected and suffered significant damage, eventually returning to the race about 150 laps off the leaders.
"I just wish I had some kind of car left so I could show him the favor back," Hamlin said of Harvick.
