Truth be told, Joey Logano had slim chances of making it to the victory lane at Nashville. He not only was stuck in the longest slump of his career but was also starting the race in the 22nd position. But as they say, never say never, because he did end up winning!

As the race stretched a record five overtimes, fans were ready with bated breath to see who would bag the win. And even though Joey Logano led just 9 laps out of the 330 laps, he managed to shine in every fan’s eyes. He also had everything stacked against him from the start- from his starting position to the various challenges throughout the race. But what saved him, in the end, was a strategy with fuel saving and some good old-fashioned driving!

Joey Logano had the universe on his side as he clinched victory at Nashville

Zane Smith was confident that he was going to win the Ally400! He kept hearing that Joey Logano, who was ahead of him, had less fuel and it could run out any moment. But instead of that moment, the win came for Logano after only what can be called a gamble. He pitted ahead of Smith, yet his tank lasted longer. Moreover, it’s crucial to note that the fuel window at Nashville Superspeedway is 80 laps and he went 110 laps on his final tank! Writer Kelly Crandell posted about this, saying, “My point was that Logano and his team won a race with a nearly empty fuel tank. He went much longer than expected and saved enough with all of the caution flags.”

Joey Logano took the lead after the third overtime when Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr had to pit for fuel. He was set to take the win, but a caution came out. Knowing that pitting would likely cost him the chance to win, Logano and his crew chief decided to roll the dice and stay out, hoping for the best. And in hindsight, it did work.

After the race, Joey Logano talked to SiriusXM and said, “Such a huge win for our race team. When you think about what it takes to win a race like this, 30 laps over the scheduled distance is just bonkers. Even so, you’ve got to thank us for bringing the fuel mileage and Nick Hansley, our fuel man, for packing it full, which is great. And Paul having the cajones to keep me out there. It’s pretty risky, especially when you’re on the cut line, but the risk definitely paid off today.” He also mentioned that he felt comfortable when he cleared Hamlin. And just when he felt good about it, Reddick on new tires did shake him a little. Even though he stumbled a little out of gas because of that, he managed it.

Well, it seems like he had lady luck or the universe at his side, and he managed to pick up his first victory of the season after a long winless streak of 49 races. But he didn’t have the fastest car rushing into the finish line, Reddick did and that is eating him up! 

Tyler Reddick was frustrated over his P2 finish at Ally 400

Tyler Reddick was in contention to win the race and he was not happy with how things turned out in the end. The 23XI driver felt that he could have won the race as plenty of the drivers were battling fuel issues on the field. In fact, he had the advantage, as he had made the pit stop right before the first overtime. After the race, even Joey Logano mentioned this. He said, “Tyler (Reddick) had the fastest car at the end, but we were able to stay in front of him. I’ve never been involved in a fuel-mileage race before. This is a big one.”

When NASCAR announced the fifth and last overtime, he was among the top. However, a Tom and Jerry chase was soon to begin! Reddick chased down race leader Joey Logano and came P2, but as he was busy with him, Smith rode down the backstretch and took away the p2 position. Reddick came p3, and he wasn’t happy about it. He expressed his frustration; “I’m trying my best but it’s tough…trying to keep it cool at the moment. I’m really upset about how that ended.”

Clearly, he is unhappy with how things turned out. Last year, he had won two times at COTA and Kansas. This season, he won at Talladega and confirmed his spot in the playoffs, but still, he is yet to bag a sweet second win. Moreover, things right now don’t look good for his team as a whole, given that Bubba Wallace seems to be in a tough spot and probably wouldn’t make it to the playoffs. And as such, the pressure to do better to compensate might loom large upon him.

What do you think? Will he win anytime soon–probably in Chicago? Let us know your thoughts!