Telling Dale Earnhardt tales on what would’ve been his 74th birthday
The fellows begin with a basic Dale Earnhardt story. Then, they discuss NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup Collection races at Talladega earlier than pivoting to Texas.
Joey Logano received the Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, his first victory for the reason that 2024 championship race.Logano turned the ninth totally different winner within the final 9 races at Texas Motor Speedway.Denny Hamlin’s engine failure ended his streak of 21 consecutive lead-lap finishes.
Joey Logano maintained a low profile for many of Sunday afternoon.
He started twenty seventh within the Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. However he slowly and steadily labored his method by way of the sphere over the course of 270 laps.
He grabbed the lead from Michael McDowell with 4 to go. Lastly, after McDowell prompted an time beyond regulation restart, he prevailed over Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney, who slotted second and third.
In his No. 22 Crew Penske Ford, Logano earned his first victory for the reason that 2024 championship race at Phoenix Raceway. It was the thirty seventh win of the 34-year-old’s Cup Collection profession. He led solely seven laps.
“Simply slowly, methodically, a pair at a time,” Logano stated of how he progressed to Victory Lane. “… The automotive was quick. I knew that yesterday. I simply did a poor job qualifying and simply grinded it out. Simply stored grinding a pair right here and a pair there and ultimately acquired a win. It’s good to get one.”
Texas become a Slip ‘N Slide, particularly late. The race featured 12 cautions.
Let’s break it down.
1. Joey Logano continues Texas Motor Speedway parity
Add Logano to the record.
He turned the ninth totally different driver to win at Texas within the final 9 races. That stretch goes again to Denny Hamlin within the spring of 2019.
That’s not even the longest streak in observe historical past, although. It featured a span of 13 distinctive winners from 1998 to 2007.
Right here’s the complete catalog of winners for the reason that begin of 2019. Notice: Texas used to host two races every season. That modified forward of the 2021 marketing campaign.
Spring 2024: Chase ElliottFall 2023: William ByronFall 2022: Tyler ReddickFall 2021: Kyle LarsonFall 2020: Kyle BuschSummer 2020: Austin DillonFall 2019: Kevin Harvick (who additionally received fall 2017 and fall 2018 races there)Spring 2019: Hamlin2. Denny Hamlin ends streak with DNF
For the primary time in a very long time, Hamlin noticed the letters “DNF” subsequent to his title Sunday.
Throughout Lap 75, his No. 11 Toyota erupted into flames getting into Flip 1 and slid by way of Flip 2. The engine failure reduce his day brief. It additionally ended his streak of ending on the lead lap in 21 straight races.
Starting with the Southern 500, the final race of the 2024 common season final September at Darlington Raceway, Hamlin had completed — and prevented final place — in each occasion by way of final weekend’s Jack Hyperlink’s 500 at Talladega Speedway.
These 21 in a row tied him for the eighth-longest run in Cup Collection historical past. Carl Edwards holds the file with 28 consecutive finishes on the lead lap in the course of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Hamlin was sitting twenty fifth on the leaderboard earlier than the incident. He formally slotted into thirty eighth.
“It missed for like three-quarters of a lap,” Hamlin advised Fox of his engine. “However apart from that, no (warning), nothing. They’ll take it again and take a look at it.”
3. NASCAR stays out West subsequent weekend
From one 1.5-mile observe to a different subsequent weekend as Kansas Speedway performs host to Week 12 of the 2025 Cup Collection season.
There are variations within the Texas and Kansas tracks, nevertheless. Texas is a quad-oval (suppose Charlotte) whereas Kansas is a tri-oval (suppose Daytona). Kansas is banked at 17 to twenty levels within the corners, which is barely lower than Texas, which could clarify the actual fact pole speeds are usually 10 mph sooner at Texas.
And whereas will probably be yet one more tripleheader of racing motion from Friday by way of Sunday, the approaching week will embrace ARCA, Vehicles and Cup, because the Xfinity Collection goes on a two-week break.
Additionally, it will absolutely be overwhelmed into you over the approaching days, however subsequent Sunday is Mom’s Day, so get crackin’ on these playing cards and flowers.
— Ken Willis contributed to this story.
