James: Race of attrition at Charlotte leaves several in Chase bind
CONCORD, N.C. — Joey Logano’s trip through the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup will not be as gilded as it was last fall.
That was almost certain to be the case, as the Team Penske driver won at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega to sweep the three-race middle segment of the 10-race playoffs in 2015.
But the journey will be decidedly more complicated this time after Logano sustained both left and right front tire problems leading to two collisions with the Charlotte Motor Speedway wall on Sunday in a 36th-place finish. It was a detrimental start, but not devastating start. That’s because his misery had much company.
Jimmie Johnnson wins at Charlotte, clinches spot in Chase third round
A Bank of America 500 that often droned was punctuated by several key moments that reverberated though the Chase Sunday.
With 74 laps remaining, a restart bump by Martin Truex Jr. sent lagging fellow Chaser Austin Dillon into a wall and cued an accident that also included title-hopefuls Chase Elliott, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch. But it didn't stop there. Denny Hamlin’s engine expired as he ran second with 26 laps left, then Truex stalled on pit road with a clutch issue during a crucial late spit stop after coming in running third.
Though Logano left Charlotte 11th among drivers still eligible for the title — outside the eight-driver boundary for entry into the third segment — he remains a viable contender to again advance in the penultimate round of the NASCAR playoffs. Most obviously, because his win at Kansas Speedway last year was his second consecutive in the track’s fall event. Granted, he required a late removal of Matt Kenseth from the lead to do so, but it counts.
Martin Truex Jr.: 'It could have been a lot worse'
It behooves Logano to make up the lost ground there, though, as Talladega Superspeedway and its restrictor-plate mayhem is a source of consternation for the entire Chase field, what with the possibility for mass accidents and season-destroying points losses. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch serve as cautionary tales of how strong second-segment runs can be unwound with disasters at Talladega, but the fresh smell of wins at Kansas should enliven Logano.
There would be greater optimism if Logano, though, had more than one win — he had four at this point last season — but he expressed a resolute attitude waiting for repairs on Sunday. And advancing without virtue of a win probably became more plausible after so many Chasers were involved in the Sunday wreck.
“We’re not out by any means,” said Logano, whose lone win this season came at Michigan International Speedway. “Things happen. It’s part of racing, but we’re not out. We’re not gonna die. This team is resilient. We’ve proved it before and we’ll just have to go out and prove it again. We just have to have two flawless races. It’s something we can make up.”
Carl Edwards, who had worried over his admittedly average finishes in the first round of the Chase, finished 12th and was never in contention because of numerous problems including tire and engine scares, involvement in the Dillon incident and a lug nut hung in an air gun, but left Charlotte sixth in points and 20 ahead of ninth place.
“We had all sorts of adversity to come out of here with a cushion on ninth, so that’s good,” Edwards said.
Added Kurt Busch of finishing eighth: “It’s one of those days where you go, ‘All right, we’ll take it. It’s not the best … but it’s the kind of finish we need to advance in this Chase.”
Kevin Harvick couldn’t say the same, but he’s proved tough to eradicate in recent seasons. He finished 38th, but has displayed a knack for the kind of dramatic opportunism needed to exploit this elimination-style iteration of the Chase.
Harvick is the only driver to have advanced through each of the eight rounds of this version of the playoffs, using must-wins at Phoenix International Raceway to reach the 2014 final and a subsequent victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway to clinch his first title. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver propelled his campaign last year with a win in the first-round elimination race at Dover International Speedway.
Harvick was undone on Sunday by an electronics problem that arose as he ran fourth on Lap 154, coincidentally preceding by moments Logano’s second interaction with the wall. Both went to the garage for lengthy repairs. Both watched points bleed away from them in a crucial second-round race. Some of those points came back. But they also remained nonetheless very much in contention for a championship.
Follow Brant James on Twitter @brantjames
