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2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano had a tantalizingly close finish in last weekend's Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400.
The veteran drove his No. 22 Ford Mustang into second place at the last restart but could not capitalize and finished in second place after William Byron took the victory.
The Next Gen car's ability to race on short tracks has been the talk of the town, as many drivers felt the grip and racing action could have been better. Logano spoke to track-side media post-race and elaborated on what he thought the issue was, stating:
"This car, if you’re directly behind them it’s no secret this car is worse in dirty air. If you’re not directly behind them, you’re able to recover better but it seems like the way cars were into the corner and the way the track wasn’t taking rubber it just made the bottom be the dominant lane. You couldn’t move up the racetrack and stern across or do anything to try to pass them. You really just got stuck.”
Logano also factored in the cold temperatures at Martinsville Speedway, which did not allow the track to get proper traction, making following another car difficult. Tire temperature and management were also key as Logano elaborated on how difficult overtaking was, and said:
“I don’t think the racing was bad, but it was definitely harder to pass. It was a lot more challenging and it’s harder to get there. I was faster than the 3 the whole run and I couldn’t get there. I was almost there and would get tight and burn my front tires off, cool them back down and make another run at it, but I just couldn’t get to him to try to make the move."
William Byron holds off Joey Logano to become first repeat winner in 2022
Joey Logano finished in second place in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 last weekend as William Byron took the checkered flag. The 2015 Daytona 500 winner was behind Byron at the restart as NASCAR went into overtime to decide the race at Martinsville.
Byron held off attacks from Joey Logano in a race where overtaking was harder than usual.
NASCAR visits Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend for the Food City Dirt Race.
