Last-Lap Crash Gives Logano First-Ever Clash Victory

Joey Logano celebrates in Victory Lane at Daytona

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Joey Logano found himself in the right place at the right time to make it through a wild last-lap crash to score his first ever victory in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

Logano was running third behind race leader Denny Hamlin and his Penske teammate Brad Keselowski when the two made contact fighting for the lead in turn two on the final lap, opening up the high side for Logano to power through to take over the top spot which he held until the finish – taking the checkered flag by 1.120 seconds over Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman and Danica Patrick.

Logano's victory was his first ever in the invitation-only pre-season event, becoming the 22^nd different winner of the event that has been held prior to the Daytona 500 every year since 1979.

"It's cool to win the Clash. We came close last year and it's really neat to be in Victory Lane and a good start to our day," said Logano.

Much of the race was dominated by the Toyota powerhouse of Joe Gibbs Racing led by defending race winner Denny Hamlin, who traded the lead twice with pole-sitter Brad Keselowski before the first caution flew on lap 18 after Jimmie Johnson broke loose in turn four and got into Kurt Busch, turning Busch head-on into the SAFER barrier.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"] Back under green, Hamlin's teammate Kyle Busch took over the top spot before short-pitting near the end of the first segment – a strategy that back-fired after Kyle Busch got nailed for speeding on pit road.

In the second segment, it was all Hamlin as he powered to the front of the field past Logano just two laps after the restart, bringing teammate Daniel Suarez and Matt Kenseth with him. It wasn't long before Kyle Busch was back in the mix as well and the JGR teammates ran 1-2-3-4 for much of the final 20 laps.

Just halfway through the second segment, Johnson got loose again in turn four, this time taking himself out of the race for his sixth-straight DNF in the Clash. Not long after that with 13 laps to go, Martin Truex, Jr. got spun off the bumper of Kyle Larson while battling for position, collecting Chris Buescher as well.

Coming to five laps to go, Keselowski and Logano finally got the outside line to work together and began to make up some ground on the front four, making their way into second and third in the final laps.

After taking the white flag, Keselowski moved right up on Hamlin's bumper and looked for an opening on the inside going into turn one, but Hamlin came down to block and got hooked off of Keselowski's right-front fender, sending him sideways going through turn two.

As Keselowski and the rest of the cars behind him checked up for Hamlin's spin, Logano powered past on the high side and into the lead just ahead of Kyle Busch. Busch lost some momentum avoiding the wreck, which allowed Alex Bowman to pull even coming through turns three and four.

Joey Logano takes the checkered flag in the Clash

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As NASCAR opted not to wave the caution flag, Logano was well up to speed and out of reach of Bowman and Busch, who traded paint all the way to the checkered flag with Danica Patrick roaring up under full power to make it three wide at the finish line with Kyle Busch barely edging Bowman to take second. Patrick was scored fourth, followed by Kevin Harvick.

"The Toyotas are so selfless – they are able to work together and think of one car of winning, and they're really good at that," said Logano. "We had to think the same way as Ford and with Stewart-Haas and the Penske cars and we were able to get a good enough run to work together enough to break them up and make the passes and then there at the end was kind of a mess.

"Everything was going really fast. Everything was going on and I was just in the right place at the right time."

Kyle Busch (18) barely edged Alex Bowman (88) for second

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After the race, Kyle Busch and Bowman were seen having discussion on pit road about the finish.

"When the 22 (Joey Logano) got so far out in front that he was a lone duck and I feel like if we both could have worked together then we could have tracked them back down and then the three of us could have gone for the win instead of just automatically giving it to the 22," said Busch. "(I was) just trying to see what his (Alex Bowman) mindset was with it all and figure out what got him to that decision.

"It's cool to be able to have the opportunity to race for a win like that, but it kind of snuck away from us there at the end."

Bowman, having earned a spot in the Clash after winning a pole in 2016 while driving in relief of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., agreed that he and Busch could have had a shot at Logano coming to the checkered flag.

"(Kyle Busch) is probably right. We probably could have caught the No. 22 and had a shot to win it, but at the same time, he didn't work with me much all day, either," said Bowman. "Chase (Elliott) pushed us up to there at the end, and we had a shot at it. That is all I can ask."

Keselowski recovered from the last-lap crash to finish sixth, followed by Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Buescher and Jamie McMurray.

Race Results

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