In a NASCAR Playoff race that had almost everything, 2018 series champion Joey Logano burned down the tires in celebration after passing Ross Chastain in the final three laps for the race win.
Logano took a chance by coming down pit road earlier in the final stage to switch to newer tires, before driving his way up to the front.
“We’re racing for a championship,” Logano said on NBC. “Let’s go. All you want to do his race for a championship and now we’re going to do it. There was a lot of adversity we had to fight through in the last 50 laps.”
JOEY LOGANO PUNCHES HIS TICKET TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR!@AlwaysRaceDay #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/6fZ6AjASDz
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) October 16, 2022
With the win, Logano becomes the first driver to punch his ticket in the final round, but others weren’t as lucky.
Ryan Blaney suffered a flat tire and ended his chances at earning his first win this season. Christopher Bell was taken out after an accident between Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace.
The replay of it can be seen below:
The replay of the Kyle Larson – Bubba Wallace wreck:
🎥 @MrMatthewCFB pic.twitter.com/3ApRczwGjg
— Always Race Day (@AlwaysRaceDay) October 16, 2022
Bubba Wallace shows his frustration with Kyle Larson after the accident that takes each of them out of the race:
🎥 @NASCARonNBC pic.twitter.com/Fg9im6iEAp
— Always Race Day (@AlwaysRaceDay) October 16, 2022
Wallace said in his TV interview with NBC that his steering broke, but Larson and Bell both believe that Wallace retaliated against the No. 5 car of Larson on purpose.
NASCAR is investigating the entirety of the situation.
Race 2 of the semifinal round of the NASCAR Playoffs comes next Sunday, at Homestead, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT on NBC.
| 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Grid | |||||
| Following Race 1 of 3 in the semifinal round | |||||
| Position | Driver | Wins | Points | Cutoff | |
| 1 | Joey Logano | 3 | ADV | ADV | |
| 1 | Ross Chastain | 2 | 4063 | +18 | |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 5 | 4062 | +17 | |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin | 2 | 4051 | +6 | |
| Playoff Cutoff | |||||
| 5 | William Byron | 2 | 4045 | -6 | |
| 6 | Chase Briscoe | 1 | 4042 | -9 | |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | 0 | 4040 | -11 | |
| 8 | Christopher Bell | 2 | 4028 | -23 | |
NASCAR Cup Series results
South Point 400
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Sun. October 16, 2022
1. Joey Logano
2. Ross Chastain
3. Kyle Busch
4. Chase Briscoe
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Tyler Reddick
7. Martin Truex Jr
8. Erik Jones
9. AJ Allmendinger
10. Austin Dillon
11. Noah Gragson
12. Kevin Harvick
13. William Byron
14. Justin Haley
15. Chris Buescher
16. Daniel Suarez
17. Brad Keselowski
18. Aric Almirola
19. Michael McDowell
20. Cole Custer
21. Chase Elliott
22. Ty Gibbs
23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
24. Corey LaJoie
25. Todd Gilliland
26. Harrison Burton
27. Cody Ware
28. Ryan Blaney
29. Austin Cindric
30. BJ McLeod
31. JJ Yeley
32. Landon Cassill
33. Ty Dillon
34. Christopher Bell
35. Kyle Larson
36. Bubba Wallace
