Joey Logano kept a hard-charging Kevin Harvick in his rear-view mirror throughout the closing laps Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, winning under the lights in “Thunder Valley” for the second year in a row. Logano kept the #22 Ford in front over the final 63 trips around the Tennessee half-mile in posting his 3rd win of the season and the 11th of his career. The margin of victory was 0.22 of a second over Harvick with pole sitter Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer completing the top 5.
Harvick continues to cruise through 2015 with a comfortable lead in the regular-season standings. Heading into a late-summer break in the schedule, Harvick enjoys a 43 point advantage over Logano. The defending Sprint Cup Series champion has 21 top tens in 24 starts this season including 10 runner-up finishes, and victories at Las Vegas and Phoenix International Raceway. Harvick has been atop the point standings since his win in Vegas way back on March 8th.
Kyle Busch, a 4-time winner this year, further solidified his eligibility for a post-season Chase berth with an 8th place finish at Bristol. He now holds a 46 point cushion over Cole Whitt in his bid to remain among the top 30 with just two races left in the regular season. Busch led a race-high 192 laps Saturday night in his bid for a weekend sweep after winning Friday’s X-FINITY Series race.
The Sprint Cup Series will have next weekend off before returning to action Sunday, September 6th, with the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
[button color=”orange” size=”medium” link=”http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Joey-Logano-Wins-IRWIN-Tools-Night-Race-for-Second-Straight-Season.aspx” target=”blank” ]Full Story from MRN[/button]
[box type=”shadow” title=”Unofficial Points Standings” ] DRIVER POINTS BEHIND LEADER
1. Kevin Harvick (2) 908 —
2. Joey Logano (3) 865 | -43
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2) 819 | -89
4. Brad Keselowski (1) 793 | -115
5. Jimmie Johnson (4) 792 | -116
6. Martin Truex Jr. (1) 771 | -137
7. Matt Kenseth (3) 753 | -155
8. Kurt Busch (2) 713 | -195
9. Denny Hamlin (1) 712 | -196
10. Jamie McMurray 631 | -149[/box]
– story by John Singler
www.mrn.com
Concord, NC
