Joey Logano provided the fireworks on the track in a dominant performance Sunday night, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch had a real flareup that closed the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Polesitter Logano put his No. 22 Ford out front for a record-setting 199 of 200 laps and snared the $1 million purse, winning the Cup Series’ prized non-points race in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Without another set of soft tires, Logano stayed out when NASCAR threw its final planned caution with 50 laps left, while many in the field took on new rubber.
The 2016 All-Star Race winner then stayed ahead of Denny Hamlin to win the non-points race by 0.636 seconds.
“We came here and tested and ran over 800 laps at the tire test,” said Logano. “I wish this one counted for points, but a million bucks will work as well.”
Chris Buescher, who was involved in two dramatic endings over the past two weeks, came in third.
Following a day of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, defending All-Star Race winner Kyle Larson arrived at the speedway by helicopter about 90 minutes before the green flag. He came home fourth, while Ryan Blaney finished fifth.
After Busch was squeezed into the wall with Stenhouse just ahead of him, Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet caught Stenhouse’s No. 47 and turned it into the Turn 2 wall on Lap 2 for the first caution.
An angry Stenhouse then parked his damaged Chevrolet in Busch’s pits and confronted Busch’s crew chief Randall Burnett.
That carried over after the race.
With his car retired after two laps, Stenhouse was forced to stay at the 0.625-mile speedway, which only has a back gate to exit the infield and no tunnel. He vowed to see Busch afterward.
The two got face-to-face at Busch’s hauler and aired their differences. Stenhouse then suddenly connected with a right hook to the two-time Cup champion’s left cheek, and a melee broke out.
“I’m not sure why he was so mad,” said Stenhouse. “He hit the fence and came off the wall and ran into me. When I was talking to him, he kept saying I wrecked him.
“It’s built-up frustration with how he runs his mouth all the time about (me). I know he’s frustrated because he doesn’t run as good as he used to. I understand that.”
Logano, Buescher, Blaney and Brad Keselowski — all drivers who stayed out on the soft tires after the Stenhouse caution — paced the field through 50 laps.
Logano’s Ford stayed out front, but Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota fought door-to-door with Logano for 25 laps to stay on the lead, and it did when the second yellow flag, a scheduled one, waved at the halfway point for mandatory pit stops.
With the five cars on soft tires running equal or better times compared to everyone else, teams opted for the softer tires during the stop, just like they did to start the event’s 40th running.
Logano and Christopher Bell ran side-by-side with 92 laps to go, but Hamlin slipped into the mix and gained second behind Logano. All-Star Open winner Ty Gibbs then spun for the third caution on Lap 119 after Busch tapped him.
–Field Level Media
