NASCAR results from Talladega: Joey Logano wins in overtime to advance in Chase

Joey Logano, almost in a must-win situation at Talladega Superspeedway, came through by winning the Alabama 500 in overtime.

Eighth in the Chase standings entering Sunday's Sprint Cup race, Joey Logano needed a fantastic finish at Talladega Superspeedway to advance in NASCAR's playoffs.

He got that, and more. Logano held off a tough challenge from upstart Brian Scott in overtime to win the Hellmann's 500.

Not bad for a driver who earlier in the race left pit road with a jack stuck under his car and drove all the way around the track before returning to pit road for a penalty.

"Everyone stayed focused on their job," Logano told NBCSN after the race. "It feels good to win in a clutch moment like that."

Logano's 16th career victory earned him a spot in the Chase Round of 8. Advancing along with Logano are Jimmie Johnson, who won at Charlotte, and Kevin Harvick (Kansas), along with Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch.

How close was it for the Chase drivers fighting to advance? Hamlin and Austin Dillon actually tied for the eighth and final points spot. Hamlin will advance by virtue of his third-place finish at Talladega, the best finish by either driver in this round of the Chase.

Dillon wasn't the only Chase driver who came so close to advancing but went home disappointed.

Brad Keselowski had the dominant car Sunday, leading a race-high 90 laps. He appeared set to sail into the next round of the Chase. But running second on lap 145, he went out with an overheated engine.

"We came here to win and were doing what we needed to do to win but it just didn't play out," Keselowski told NBCSN afterward.

Martin Truex Jr., who entered the day sixth in the Chase standings, saw his hopes literally go up in smoke when his Chevy went out with a hole in its oil pan.

"It's part of racing, that's the way it goes some days," Truex told MRN in the garage.

Scott, who chased Logano to the checkered flag, held on to finish second, followed by Hamlin and Kurt Busch. Scott wasn't the only driver in the lead pack in the late going chasing his first career victory. Rickey Stenhouse Jr. finished fifth. Alex Bowman, driving the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in relief of Dale Earnhardt Jr., was running third with three laps to go, but spun into the grass.

Next up for the Sprint Cup Series is the polar opposite of Talladega Superspeedway, the shortest track on the circuit, Martinsville Speedway.

 

Hellman's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Finishing Order

 

Pos. Car No. Driver
1. (22) Joey Logano
2. (44) Brian Scott
3. (11) Denny Hamlin
4. (41) Kurt Busch
5. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
6. (42) Kyle Larson
7. (4) Kevin Harvick
8. (43) Aric Almirola
9. (3) Austin Dillon
10. (47) AJ Allmendinger
11. (21) Ryan Blaney
12. (24) Chase Elliott
13. (27) Paul Menard
14. (31) Ryan Newman
15. (16) Greg Biffle
16. (95) Michael McDowell
17. (6) Trevor Bayne
18. (15) Clint Bowyer
19. (1) Jamie McMurray
20. (10) Danica Patrick
21. (38) Landon Cassill
22. (34) Chris Buescher
23. (48) Jimmie Johnson
24. (23) David Ragan
25. (7) Ragan Smith
26. (99) Ryan Reed
27. (93) Matt DiBenedetto
28. (20) Matt Kenseth
29. (19) Carl Edwards
30. (18) Kyle Busch
31. (32) Bobby Labonte
32. (14) Tony Stewart
33. (46) Michael Annett
34. (83) Jeffrey Earnhardt
35. (5) Kasey Kahne
36. (88) Alex Bowman
37. (55) Reed Sorenson
38. (2) Brad Keselowski
39. (13) Casey Mears
40. (78) Martin Truex Jr.