Joey Logano has made it to the playoffs after a dramatic finish to the Ally 400 race at the Nashville Superspeedway. The race had it all: multiple driver battles, lead changes, wrecks, and double overtime finishes. There came a point where everyone in the lead yearning for the win was dropping like flies being out of fuel. But Joey Logano braved those odds and got the vital win for the #22 Penske team.

Coming off the final restart, Logano had to fend off a late charge by Tyler Reddick, who was looking to steal the win. However, patience and experience prevailed in the end for the Penske driver, as he made it to the checkered first with his last drops of fuel in his race car.

Five overtime runs are needed to complete the Ally 400 race at Nashville Superspeedway

It’s fair to say the best drivers and race cars didn’t end up winning Sunday’s Cup Series race. Ross Chastain was crashed out of the event by Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin’s fourth win was foiled by a late caution. Heck, even Larson couldn’t turn the race in his favor after running low on fuel. Evidently, with the big dogs out of the picture, the stage was set for one of the struggling drivers to get vital results.

Like most of the drivers running up front, his No. 22 Ford Mustang was running on its last fuel reserves. But knowing that he might not be able to get another shot in the next seven races, Logano trusted his instincts and luck and brought home a big victory, turning the course of his season, which wasn’t sailing in the right direction.

“You drive all over to the racetrack, apparently. But I had tires there, so just had to make different moves and go different places. And, let me tell you, when I went into three and I saw that light, I was like, oh no, I’m going to run out off 4. It just stumbled and spit and sputtered across the line there somehow, enough for a little bit of a burnout, but I’m gonna get a pushback.” Joey Logano said this in the post-race interview.

He further went on to explain how reliving this victory was for the #22 team, as they’ve had a hard time getting the desired results. “You know, trying to make the playoffs is not easy these days with these next-gen cars, and everyone’s so eagerly matched. You know, I’ve done, I made a lot of mistakes, even some tonight, and it’s nice to be able to overcome … This is just a much-needed win, for sure.”

While one struggling driver found his way to climb out of the ditch, a few others further found themselves deep in the hole. Kyle Busch, in particular, stands out as the big loser from the race in Nashville.

But, is there an end to Kyle Busch’s miserable run in 2024?

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During the first stage of the race, the #8 car once again found itself in a similar territory. Out of speed and on the verge of being lapped down by the lead cars. Rowdy even voiced out his frustration on the team radio, feeling hard done by his race car. “This is complete garbage.”

But Kyle Busch just wasn’t about to go down without putting up a fight. Thanks to his relentless pursuit and some brilliant adjustments to his car, he was alive and running well for the win until Kyle Larson impeded him twice.

During the late restart in the first overtime of the race, Busch was caught up in a big one caused by Larson. At the time, he was running P4 and could’ve easily had a top-5 finish. But he lost all the track positions, trying to save himself from being out of the race. Grinding his way back up the field, he made it to the third overtime run and was in the second row behind the leaders.

But, as the race went back green, the No. 5 HMS stalled out on the race track after being out of fuel, and the oncoming traffic swept Busch, ramming his race car into the safer barrier. It just wouldn’t click for Busch and RCR, despite all the efforts and grind. They ultimately succumbed to yet another DNF, his fourth of the season. After the Nashville race, yet another playoff spot was secured by a new driver, and Busch now sits in 17th place. Twenty-six points off the cutline.