DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Joey Logano won the fourth America 250 Florida Duel of his career on Thursday night to secure a third-place starting spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500.
With an earnest push from Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, Logano was at the front of the field when NASCAR called the third caution of the first Duel on Lap 63, three laps into overtime.
Both Logano and Blaney are among the favorites to win Sunday’s 68th edition of the Great American Race. Blaney ran second and will start fifth in NASCAR’s biggest race.
“Just a lot of teamwork all the way through,” Logano said. “I think about the 22 team in particular. Nick Hensley, our gas man, did a fantastic job getting us in position out of pit road. (Spotter) Coleman Pressley up on the roof giving us great information. My teammate Ryan Blaney being committed and working together.
“It’s nice when everything works out the way it’s supposed to.”
Logano has finished ninth or better in 12 straight Daytona Duels.
Former Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon ran third, followed by Brad Keselowski—recovering from a broken right femur—and John Hunter Nemechek. Shane van Gisbergen, Daniel Suarez, Casey Mears, Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman completed the top 10.
Mears came from a lap down to earn the one Open position in the Daytona 500 available from the first Duel. Mears advanced when fellow Open competitor Corey LaJoie—running in the top five at the time—turned into the outside wall in a chain-reaction collision on the final lap of overtime.
The complexion of the first race changed dramatically after Mears slid into the Ford of Noah Gragson coming to pit road on Lap 46. Preece had led 38 laps to that point but needed more fuel on his stop and fell back after the subsequent restart on Lap 50.
Mears lost a lap because of his spin into the infield grass but regained it as the beneficiary under caution under the second caution for a five-car accident on Lap 56 that eliminated the No. 24 Chevrolet of William Byron, the two-time defending winner of the Daytona 500.
Byron will start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field in a backup car.
In the final wreck on Lap 63, Mears’ No. 66 Ford nosed into the Chevrolet of Daniel Suarez after passing Lajoie’s spinning Ford for the critical position. Mears had the leading Open car when NASCAR called the caution that froze the field.
“I hit somebody square,” Mears said, unsure whether his Carl Long-owned car could be repaired or if a backup would be required. “And I knew when I hit him flat it didn’t tear up the car too much and I was going to be able to get back (to the checkered flag).
“But I didn’t know who was in front of me still, whether or not we made it. All the guys started going nuts on the radio.”
Sensing danger as the first Duel barreled toward a frenetic conclusion, DAYTONA 500 pole winner Kyle Busch dropped to the rear of the field after the Lap 50 restart to preserve his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for Sunday’s race. He finished 18th in the 23-car field.
Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, already locked into the 500 on an Open Exemption Provisional, ran a conservative race and finished 15th.
The finish:
1. (6) Joey Logano, Ford, 63.
2. (11) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 63.
3. (7) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 63.
4. (10) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 63.
5. (9) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 63.
6. (19) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 63.
7. (20) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 63.
8. (22) Casey Mears, Ford, 63.
9. (2) Ryan Preece, Ford, 63.
10. (4) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 63.
11. (13) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 63.
12. (23) Noah Gragson, Ford, 63.
13. (16) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 63.
14. (3) Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 63.
15. (15) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, 63.
16. (21) Chandler Smith(i), Ford, 63.
17. (14) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 63.
18. (1) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 63.
19. (8) Corey LaJoie, Ford, Accident, 62.
20. (17) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 62.
21. (18) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Accident, 62.
22. (12) William Byron, Chevrolet, Accident, 55.
23. (5) Chris Buescher, Ford, Accident, 55.
