NASCAR Cup Series

Joey Logano seizes RFK heartbreak for Atlanta win

2 Mins read
Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano dominated Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway from the pole for his first win of 2023, but he needed a last-lap pass to secure it.

Incidentally, said overtake came on his former Penske team-mate Brad Keselowski after receiving help from Penske’s Ryan Blaney on the inside line.

“I’ve got great team-mates and I wanted to stick with them,” said Logano. “There were plenty of times I could have moved up, but I didn’t want to leave my team-mates down there. I wanted them behind me. I knew how fast their cars were. If I could pick one, that’s the one I want, so I was able to try to keep them with me. I thought with two to go, the outside lane got three cars, four cars clear and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m gonna make it here,’ but I got a good push, enough to get to the outside of the #6 and that was the big difference.”

Keselowski finished second in a heartbreaking day for his RFK Racing team. Besides coming up just shy, team-mate Chris Buescher had crashed out with B.J. McLeod, Harrison Burton, and Kevin Harvick in the first and largest wreck of the day on lap 189 when Harvick had gotten loose while leading and drafting with Ross Chastain.

Despite the disappointing end, it was still a strong day for RFK as they continue to see improving results since Keselowski’s arrival as co-owner in 2022.

“The bottom row came with a huge run,” Keselowski commented. “I don’t know how and I thought I had it blocked and Joey just kept shaking and his car didn’t stall out. I couldn’t get the push down the back. I thought, ‘I’ll just get a push down the back,’ and the #20 car (Christopher Bell) just hauled down there.

“We were right there. I’m glad a Ford won. It was a heck of a battle. The coolest thing about this is two veterans showed that you can run a race here side-by-side bump drafting and not wreck the field. It can happen if you race respectfully and I thought everybody did a great job. We were right there. I’m proud of my team and the effort, just not much we could do there.

“It’s night and day from where we were a year ago, 100 percent. You just keep running like this with good finishes and the wins will come.”

Erik Jones finished eighth after a dramatic run in which he passed nine cars on the final lap, while Ty Gibbs placed a spot behind him for the first top ten of his Cup rookie season and second overall.

Race results

FinishStartNumberDriverTeamManufacturerLapsStatus
1122Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord260Running
246Brad KeselowskiRFK RacingFord260Running
31020Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota260Running
4317Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet260Running
51645Tyler Reddick23XI RacingToyota260Running
61411Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota260Running
7312Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord260Running
82843Erik JonesLegacy Motor ClubChevrolet260Running
93554Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota260Running
10178Kyle BuschRichard Childress RacingChevrolet260Running
1122Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord260Running
122242Noah GragsonLegacy Motor ClubChevrolet260Running
13181Ross ChastainTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet260Running
141548Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet260Running
152338Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord260Running
163016A.J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet260Running
172747Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet260Running
18219Josh Berry*Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet260Running
192919Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota260Running
20133Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet260Running
211234Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord260Running
222031Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevrolet260Running
232677Ty DillonSpire MotorsportsChevrolet260Running
24814Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFord259Running
253251Cody WareRick Ware RacingFord258Running
263415J.J. Yeley*Rick Ware RacingFord258Running
271923Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota255Running
282441Ryan PreeceStewart-Haas RacingFord244Running
292599Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet213DVP
30510Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord208Accident
3195Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet208Accident
321124William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet192Accident
3364Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord190Accident
343321Harrison BurtonWood Brothers RacingFord190DVP
35717Chris BuescherRFK RacingFord189Accident
363678B.J. McLeodLive Fast MotorsportsChevrolet189Accident
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for points
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