Reigning NASCAR champion notches win of 2025, takes Texas race in OT
Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano took just one week to get his redemption.
After failing inspection last week at Talladega and being disqualified, Logano punched his ticket into the postseason Sunday by winning a two-lap overtime dash in the Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.
Following the 13th caution after Michael McDowell’s wreck after being passed for the lead by Logano, the No. 22 Team Penske driver pulled away from teammate Ryan Blaney in overtime and held off Ross Chastain by 0.346 seconds for his 37th career win.
The three-time Cup champion became the ninth different winner in the past nine races at the 1.5-mile speedway and earned the checkers for the second time at the track (April 2014).
SUNDAY’S RESULTS: Full finishing order from Wurth 400 at Texas
Logano had no top-fives and just one top-10 so far in his title defense.
‘This sport changes so quickly,’ said Logano, who qualified 27th before his first 2025 win. ‘It’s crazy how you can just ride these roller coasters. … The car was fast. I just did a poor job qualifying. I just grinding a couple (of spots) here and a couple there.’
Blaney finished third and Kyle Larson was fourth. In his 300th career start, Erik Jones brought his No. 43 Toyota home in a season-best fifth.
One of three Penske drivers, Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, blamed himself for failing to notch his first victory this season.
‘(It’s the) driver making dumb decisions and not doing his job,’ Blaney said. ‘The 12 car was a fast car. I can’t do nothing right currently, so hopefully it’ll work itself out.’
Top qualifier Carson Hocevar ended up 24th after wrecking with 31 laps to go.
On Lap 75, three-time Texas winner Denny Hamlin had his Joe Gibbs Racing Camry erupt in fire heading into Turn 1 to force the second caution period and create his first DNF of 2025. He gridded last in the 38-car field.
Austin Cindric netted the top bonus points by winning Stage 1. Tyler Reddick and Josh Berry finished behind Cindric’s No. 2 Ford in strong runs.
While leading on Lap 126, Berry, seeking his second victory in two months, had his No. 21 car bottom out in Turn 4, causing the Wood Brothers driver to loop the legendary Ford of NASCAR’s oldest team and pound the frontstretch wall.
On Lap 132, Larson passed leader Todd Gilliland but soon faced a challenge from the hard-charging Reddick. He held him off until Chris Buescher had a flat right-rear tire with four laps to go in Stage 2, which was claimed by Larson with Reddick and Alex Bowman just behind.
Halfway through a Lap 172 restart, Bubba Wallace brushed the backstretch wall, was tapped by Logano’s No. 22 Ford and spun to set up the race’s biggest incident — a six-car wreck that also involved Bowman.
Xfinity Series regular Jesse Love spun off Turn 2 on Lap 219 to set up the final pit stops for the lead group under caution, and third-place Kyle Busch wrecked by himself with 38 laps left.
