LAS VEGAS, NV — Joey Logano drove to victory lane in a thrilling showdown at the South Point 400, clinching his 35th career NASCAR Cup Series win and securing a place in the Championship 4. Logano’s victory marked his third win of the season and his fourth at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he edged out Christopher Bell by .662 seconds.
This race showcased Logano’s skill and highlighted Ford’s dominance in the NASCAR Cup Series. With this win, Ford celebrated its 738th all-time victory and its 10th of the season, further solidifying its status at Las Vegas, where it has now claimed 15 wins since its first victory in 1998, driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin.
The South Point 400, the first race in the penultimate Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs, saw a series of intense moments, including five caution periods that accounted for 32 laps. Out of the 37 drivers who started the race, only 21 finished on the lead lap, underscoring the competitive nature of the event.
The race format comprised 267 laps, divided into three stages. Tyler Reddick from 23XI Racing won Stage 1, while Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing took the honors in Stage 2, setting up a fierce battle for the final stage.
Logano’s victory secures his championship aspirations and raises the stakes for other contenders. Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott now find themselves below the top-four cutline, with only two races left to make their case for the Championship 4, culminating in a high-stakes showdown at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10.
As the NASCAR Cup Series heads into its final stretch, all eyes will be on the remaining contenders as they strive to outpace each other for a chance at the coveted championship title. With Logano’s momentum and Ford’s strong performance, the final races promise to be exhilarating.
Stage 1 Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stewart-Haas Racing Finish:
- Noah Gragson (Started 21st, Finished 18th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
- Ryan Preece (Started 32nd, Finished 22nd / Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)
- Josh Berry (Started 28th, Finished 24th / Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)
- Chase Briscoe (Started 24th, Finished 26th / Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)
Stewart-Haas Racing Points:
- Chase Briscoe (15th with 2,121 points)
- Noah Gragson (25th with 541 points)
- Ryan Preece (26th with 523 points)
- Josh Berry (27th with 519 points)
Stewart-Haas Racing
Gragson earned his 20th top-20 of the season and his third top-20 in four career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas.
Preece finished 10th in Stage 2 to earn one bonus point.
“My car just really struggled,” said Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Texas A&M University Ford Mustang Dark Horse. “All day, it just didn’t really seem to do anything it should do. So yeah, I don’t know. We changed everything throughout the race, and there at the end, it was finally good, so I wish we could’ve started the race where we just ended it, but obviously we can’t do that. Definitely a rough one, for sure.”
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Straight Talk Wireless 400 on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The eighth race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
