After P2 at Phoenix, Joey Logano feels victory is near

Joey Logano, the winner at Phoenix in 2019, put in another strong performance in this year's event as well, but could not finish better than P2 at the 1-mile oval in Sunday's Instacart 500.

However, his Stage 2 win in the race was his first in the 2021 NASCAR season. Looking good to go all the way in the third and final stage, Joey Logano had to pit under green-flag conditions, due to vibrations in his car with 62 laps to go.

The issue refused to go away, however, and Logano had to bring his No. 22 Ford back to the pits again, costing him the lead.

For their part, Joey Logano's pit crew put in an admirable effort each time, helping the Team Penske driver lead the race off pit road and giving him a chance to get ahead of the field.

How about that 22 @Shell @Pennzoil Pit Crew! 👏Another race day in the books with ⚡️ fast stops in the pit box! pic.twitter.com/fjvYrI2y5h

— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) March 15, 2021

Joey Logano's Stage 2 win a masterstroke by crew chief Paul Wolfe

STAGE WINNER: @joeylogano handles traffic and holds off the No. 19 for the Stage 2 win! pic.twitter.com/6jvYRr1YIS

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 14, 2021

Complementing the efforts of Joey Logano's pit crew was crew chief Paul Wolfe strategizing the run to perfection.

Joey Logano was in the lead when the fourth caution was brought out following Anthony Alfredo's wreck.

The 2018 champion was in the front for the majority of Stage 2, and with 50 laps remaining, the driver of the No. 22 decided to pit under green for four tires and fuel.

Four tires and a splash of fuel for @joeylogano. @shellracingus crew maintained the lead on the stop. @FordPerformance | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/1kOXTcEGY1

— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) March 14, 2021

While that may, for once, have resulted in Logano losing the top spot, the Team Penske driver's fresher tires helped him get back in the lead with 32 laps to go.

Joey Logano, being the champion driver that he is, wasn't giving away his lead, and went on to win the second stage.

Joey Logano's Stage 3 vigil

Joey Logano was looking good to carry his Stage 2 win momentum into Stage 3 and beyond, but with 62 laps to go, the No. 22 driver had to pit under green after experiencing vibrations in his car.

As a result, NASCAR veteran and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver Martin Truex Jr. easily had the best car on track on the day and went past a struggling Logano.

Finishing P2 sucks, but it was definitely a solid day at the track. Led the most laps. Finished P2 in Stage 1. Won Stage 2. And the 22 Pit Crew nailed it all day long. We’ll be in Victory Lane soon! pic.twitter.com/yAAiwUIkPo

— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) March 14, 2021

Even after pitting, Joey Logano's vibration persisted, forcing him to pit under green once again with close to 50 laps to go.

Logano's pit crew helped him to lead the race off pit road, giving him the slightest of chances to win, but Truex's steady pace saw him take the checkered flag and register his first win at Phoenix.

.@joeylogano breaks down the final restart in his runner-up finish at @phoenixraceway. pic.twitter.com/eHmt2bh2J5

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 14, 2021

It also made Truex the fifth different driver to win in 2021. Joey Logano was quite happy with his efforts as he led a race-high 143 laps.

Both men will now be turning their attention to NASCAR's sixth race and the third 1.5-mile track event this year, at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 21.