“Just bonkers to even think”: Joey Logano in awe of his fuel mileage after first win of the season

Team Penske driver Joey Logano secured his first win of the season after keeping enough fuel to last 110 laps and surviving a NASCAR record five overtime on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway. After the win, Logano left amazed with how the fuel strategy played out in his favor.

The #22 Ford Team Penske driver survived five overtime restarts while other drivers continuously wrecked in an attempt to earn the position. With the extended 31 laps beyond the scheduled distance due to overtime, many race leaders closed on fuel mileage, and many ran out of gas on the track.

After the race, Joey Logano spoke about how he won the Nashville race on low fuel. Logano admitted that the decision not to pit for fuel eventually paid off, leading to his victory. He credits Ralph Sheets Engines for their fuel efficiency, the team's fuel manager and the crew chief for ensuring the car had enough fuel.

In a post-race interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Logano said:

“This is such a huge win for our race team, all the way through when you think about what it takes to win a race like this. 30 laps over the scheduled distance is just bonkers to even think.

"So it's got to thank Ralph Sheets Engines for bringing the fuel mileage. Nick Hensley, our fuel man, he packed her full, which was great”

Logano continued:

“Paul having the cojones to keep me out there. It's a pretty risky move, especially when you're on a cut line like this, but this has definitely paid off today”

Logano led the field to start the fifth overtime restart and held off Zane Smith and Tyler Reddick to end his year-long winless streak.

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Joey Logano reflects on the reducing mental strain of the competition after Nashville victory

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series was going through a tough season, as he had been struggling to put in consistent performances.

Speaking to NBC Sports after the Nashville victory, Joey Logano discussed the difficulties of the ongoing season, particularly the stress of being on the cut-off line for playoff qualification. He now feels the pressure is off his shoulder with clinching the playoff berth.

Logano said (via NBC Sports):

“It’s been a hard season and being on that cutline, I tell you it sucks. It’s just not fun. It’s hard and you just want a little bit of relief of the pressure and with seven weeks to go until the playoffs it gives us a chance to breathe for a second and start just kind of working on our car a little bit differently and just sleep better, to be honest with you.”

With a P1 result at Nashville, Joey Logano moved to 14th place in the Cup Series points table with 470 points.