By RaceScene Publisher on Sunday, 08 May 2022
Category: The Checkered Flag

Joey Logano moves Byron for Goodyear 400 win

Regardless of a Jeff Gordon fan’s opinion on the current #24 driver William Byron, it probably did not feel good seeing a #24 blue/red flames car in the wall while leading with two laps remaining. Byron was battling with Joey Logano before the latter moved him aside and into the wall before pulling away to win Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, as payback for earlier contact.

Logano started on the pole and was stout as he led 108 of 293 total laps, over twice as much as the next driver (Denny Hamlin’s forty-two). Although Kyle Larson was on point early on as he battled with Logano, his race fell apart following a lap 56 spin and engine failure on lap 112. By the end of Stage #1, Logano led Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Byron, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace. Chastain won the second stage, with Truex, Logano, Hamlin, Byron, Jones, Bell, Chase Elliott, Aric Almirola, and Daniel Suárez in tow.

Despite getting stage points, Busch, Wallace, and Chastain would not reach the finish. Busch wrecked out on lap 168 after Brad Keselowski hit the wall in front of him, while Chastain spun while racing for the lead on lap 196. Wallace was involved in a nine-car crash that collected him and 23XI Racing team-mate Kurt Busch, Elliott, Hamlin, Jones, Truex, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, and Cole Custer.

Shortly after the ensuing restart, Byron squeezed Logano into the turn two wall, though Logano kept going. Although Byron had the pace, Logano gradually whittled the margin before catching him on the penultimate lap.

As they entered turn three, Logano hit Byron’s rear bumper, causing him to slide up the wall. With Reddick too far back and Byron dropping out of the top ten entirely, Logano took the white and checkered flags. The win is his first points payer of 2022 after winning the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and his second at Darlington in a national series after previously taking the now-Xfinity Series victory there in 2012.

“The coolest thing is getting this (throwback) car into Victory Lane,” Logano told FOX Sports. “This is the car where it all started for me back in ’95 in a quarter midget. Really honestly all the young kids racing out there right now, this could be you. I’ve got Silver City Quarter Midget Club on the back, all the cool things that went along with this car, and we got it into Victory Lane.”

To little surprise, Byron was not happy with the contact. He commented, “We were really close off of (turn) two and I think it spooked him and got him tight, and he was right against the wall and I got the lead.

“He’s just an idiot. He does this stuff all the time. I’ve seen it with other guys. He drove in there ten miles an hour too fast, and with these Next Gen cars, he slammed me so hard it knocked the whole right side off the car and no way to make the corner. He’s just a moron. He can’t win a race so he does it that way.”

During his interview, Logano said in kind, “You’re not going to put me in the wall and not get anything back. That’s how that works.”

Race results

FinishStartNumberDriverTeamManufacturerLapsStatus
1122Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord293Running
2108Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet293Running
32931Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevrolet293Running
4354Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord293Running
5349Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet293Running
6320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota293Running
71634Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord293Running
82647Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet293Running
9143Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet293Running
102099Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet293Running
111210Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord293Running
122142Ty DillonPetty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet293Running
13924William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet293Running
142521Harrison BurtonWood Brothers RacingFord293Running
152738Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord293Running
161817Chris BuescherRFK RacingFord293Running
17712Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord293Running
18192Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord293Running
193151Cody WareRick Ware RacingFord293Running
201314Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFord293Running
212211Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota292Running
223377Landon Cassill*Spire MotorsportsChevrolet292Running
233215J.J. Yeley*Rick Ware RacingFord288Running
24419Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota263Accident
251143Erik JonesPetty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet262Accident
262841Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord260Accident
271723Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota260Accident
28645Kurt Busch23XI RacingToyota260Accident
291548Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet255Accident
3081Ross ChastainTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet194Accident
312416Daniel Hemric*Kaulig RacingChevrolet188Engine
323678B.J. McLeodLive Fast MotorsportsFord184Brakes
33518Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota167Accident
34236Brad KeselowskiRFK RacingFord166Accident
35307Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet152Accident
3625Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet112Engine
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for Cup points
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