With those racing for the lead running out of fuel or wrecking, Sunday’s Cup race went a series-record five overtimes and an extra 31 laps before Joey Logano crossed the finish line to win as his car ran out of fuel.
Logano’s first win of the season snapped a 49-race winless drought and secured a playoff spot. He entered the race holding the final playoff spot.
As he crossed the finish line, Logano screamed on his radio: “We’re out of gas! We’re out gas! We did it! We did it. Yeah!”
MORE: Nashville Cup results, driver points
MORE: What drivers said after the race
Through the chaotic extra laps that extend the race more than 30 minutes, rookie Zane Smith finished a career-best second, Tyler Reddick was third, Ryan Preece placed fourth and Chris Buescher was fifth.
Reddick restarted sixth and had the freshest tires but couldn’t get by Logano. Reddick fell to third at the end. He was frustrated after the race.
“It’s really disappointing,” he told NBC Sports’ Kim Coon.
Reddick went on to say: “All the good cars ran out of fuel, and we were in position to pass (Logano). He hadn’t been good all day long, and I didn’t get the job done.”
Nearly half the field was involved in the numerous incidents that extended the race well beyond its scheduled 300-lap distance. Preece was involved in one of those incidents and still finished in the top five.
Twice Denny Hamlin was on the verge of scoring what would have been a series-best fourth win of the season but cautions extended the race and Hamlin eventually had to pit because he was out of fuel.
“We’re 15 seconds from winning and then 10 seconds from winning,” Hamlin told crew chief Chris Gabehart on the radio before having to pit.
Said Gabehart: “Yeah, You and I have lost them a lot of ways together friend. At least we were in position to do it.”
Hamlin finished 12th.
Among the incidents in overtime was Kyle Larson’s contact wrecking Ross Chastain.
Larson restarted third behind leader Denny Hamlin on the first overtime restart. Chastain restarted next to Hamlin on the front row.
Shortly after green, Larson came up the track and hit the left rear of Chastain, wrecking him.
“I was just trying to get Denny washed off the bottom so that I could get some clean air and give myself an opportunity to win,” Larson said. “I felt like from the second position, I wouldn’t have a chance. I just tried to run in with him and got myself really tight and into Ross, so caused that crash.”
Chastain finished 33rd. Larson placed eighth.
This also was a race that was stopped after 136 laps were complete because of rain and lightning. The delay lasted 81 minutes.
Christopher Bell led a race-high 131 laps and won both stages but crashed in traffic at Lap 228 shortly after a restart. He’s won at least one stage in four of the last six races.
Stage 1 winner: Christopher Bell
Stage 2 winner: Christopher Bell
Notable: Joey Logano’s win marked the eighth consecutive weekend Team Penske has won a race in either NASCAR, IndyCar or IMSA. ... Logano is the fifth driver to end a winless streak of at least 42 races this season.
Next: The series races July 7 on the streets of Chicago (4:30 p.m. ET on NBC)