Joey Logano Martinsville Speedway Recap

Saturday afternoon was special for Joey Logano.

In a career already filled with trophies and fond memories, Logano (@joeylogano) scored his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and added a grandfather clock to his trophy case.  The driver of the Cooper Standard Ford F-150 won for the first time in seven starts in the series and in his first Martinsville race. 

But it wasn’t easy.

Logano started from the pole (also a career first) and led 106 of the first 110 laps.  But his truck developed a loose handling condition forcing him to briefly slip back in the running order.  He was running third when the third caution of the race came as a timely break for Logano, allowing him and crew chief Chad Kendrick to pit for four tires and needed adjustments. 

Great pit work put Logano second for the restart when the race went green on lap 148.  Logano and Matt Crafton took turns exchanging the lead until Logano grabbed the top spot on lap 206 and stayed there for the next 39 laps. 

On lap 245 Crafton nudged Logano out of the bottom groove and took the lead but two turns later Cole Custer pushed both Logano and Crafton out of the way for first place.  Crafton caught Custer on lap 248 and aggressively pushed his way past.  The contact forced Custer to spin and brought out the ninth and final caution of the race – setting up a green-white-checkered finish on lap 257.

Logano lined up third for the final restart and quickly jumped inside leader Crafton and second place Erik Jones as they raced into Turn 1.  He cleared his rivals at the exit of Turn 2 and quickly pulled away over the final two laps to collect the victory.

BKR PR