“Bit of a high-risk play”- Joey Logano uncovers crew chief’s mid-race call that saved his P6 spot

Team Penske driver Joey Logano has shed light on his third top-10 finish of the season, lauding his crew chief's end of Stage 1 call that saved his contention at the Martinsville Speedway.

The #22 Ford Mustang driver was the highest-placed Team Penske driver in the starting lineup of the Cook Out 400. He started his run from P6 compared to teammates Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric who kicked off their stints from P9 and P14, respectively.

Logano's crew chief, Paul Wolfe, ordered the #22 Ford to be equipped with two fresh tires at the end of Stage 1, allowing the Connecticut native to ascend through the ranks and take the race lead during Stage 2. However, as the second stage neared its end, Denny Hamlin overtook Joey Logano on Lap 170, and with the two unchanged tires from the previous pitstop, the Team Penske driver's track position dropped further to P5.

Nevertheless, the two-time Cup Series champion maintained his run for the remainder of the 415-lap race, finishing in P6, next to his teammate Ryan Blaney in P5. After his exhilarating run, Logano lauded his crew chief for saving his day, saying (via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on X):

"I'm glad we had the cajones to do it. It was a bit of a high-risk play. We were the only team to do it but worked out pretty well until the left wheel came apart in the last like 20 laps. It started chunking and vibrating, we lost a lot of grip, unfortunately."

Joey Logano added:

"Overall, solid day, points in both stages and almost a top-5. Things are moving in the right direction atleast."

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Joey Logano chimes in on the controversial restart that robbed Martin Truex Jr. of a probable maiden win at Richmond

The Toyota Owners 400 was going Martin Truex Jr.'s way until a late race wreck involving Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson prompted a caution and a big chunk of the pack capitalized by pitting under the yellow flag.

Among the opportunists were teammates Denny Hamlin and MTJ. However, luck found itself in Denny Hamlin's grasp after his speedy pitstop sent him back as the leader of the race.

Moreover, momentarily before the final restart, Hamlin did a jump start, gaining an advantage over the rivals and etching the victory under his name. The decision of the NASCAR VP Elton Sawyer to let go of the matter didn't sit well with the drivers and fans alike.

Ahead of his Martinsville run, Joey Logano shared his thought process on the VP's call, saying (via Frontstretch on X) [2:24]:

"Consistency is what you look for. I don't believe a call should be different for the end of the race versus the middle of the race. I also believe there is more time at the end of the race than there is during the race."