Joey Logano earns dominant NASCAR Cup win at North Wilkesboro

There was no stopping Joey Logano in NASCAR’s first points-paying Cup race at North Wilkesboro in three a long time. The Workforce Penske driver led 323 of 450 laps, taking a commanding victory and his first of the 2026 season. That beats Logano’s personal private report for laps led in a single race (beforehand 309 at Martinsville in 2018).

Logano now has 38 profession wins, and that win vaulted him above the Chase cut-line.

He needed to maintain off Denny Hamlin within the closing laps, with the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver making an attempt the whole lot he might to get to the No. 22 Penske Ford, however to no avail.

“A win anyplace at this level would have sounded nice,” stated Logano, who took his son Hudson for a journey after the race.

“Coming right here to North Wilkesboro is superior. I picked up a passenger on the backstretch. What an excellent automotive. Paul Wolfe (crew chief), what an excellent automotive he put collectively for us right now. Simply was capable of execute a clean place. Everybody on pit highway did an excellent job. Engine and Roush Yates was good. It is good to get again into victory lane. It has been a tricky yr. So getting the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang doing a little massive, smokey doughnuts round this place felt actually good.”

Watch: Logano: ‘It simply feels good to get again in Victory Lane’

Chase Briscoe completed third, Ty Gibbs fourth, and Shane van Gisbergen matched his career-best oval end in fifth.

Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Todd Gilliland, Daniel Suarez, and Ryan Preece stuffed out the rest of the highest ten.

Of be aware, Gilliland continued his underdog run within the $1 million In-Season Problem, defeating Chase Elliott and advancing into the finals. There he’ll face Ryan Blaney, who bested Christopher Bell on Sunday.

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Stage 1

There was a slight delay to complete drying the observe after earlier storms, however as automobiles acquired rolling, pole-sitter Blaney was not truly going to steer the sphere to the inexperienced flag. The workforce needed to repair an influence steering problem, which put him to the rear of the sphere for the beginning.

It was as a substitute Bell and Gibbs on the entrance row, with Gibbs dominating the early portion of the 450-lap race.

Chastain needed to serve an early pass-through after three inspection failures on Saturday, falling off the lead lap.

The primary warning was for Nemechek, who spun with some assist from Smith.

Many of the subject pitted, with a handful of automobiles choosing two-tire calls. Hamlin was the lone driver who determined to remain out.

Throughout pit stops, Larson collided with Zilisch whereas making an attempt to exit his pit stall, and wanted to pit once more after bending the right-front wheel.

On the restart, it was Van Gisbergen who rapidly took the lead, and promptly set a brand new private report for laps led on an oval for SVG.

“What the f*** do I do now,” radioed Van Gisbergen after taking the lead, joking with the workforce.

On the finish of the stage, Van Gisbergen acquired handed for the lead on the ultimate lap, with Gibbs successful Stage 1, simply forward of Van Gisbergen. They had been adopted by Logano, Hamlin, Hocevar, Bell, Elliott, Briscoe, Cindric, and Byron.

Stage 2

Throughout the stage break, race chief Gibbs was hit with a giant penalty after he was caught dashing on pit highway.

Logano was now in management, just for Van Gisbergen to once more take the lead on the restart. About 35 laps later, Logano moved again forward of Van Gisbergen, driving away.

About midway via the stage, Bell was the primary to kick off a spherical of green-flag pit stops. Whereas being lapped by Logano, Allmendinger pushed a bit too arduous, sliding up into the skin wall and breaking the right-rear toe hyperlink. He turned the primary driver to fall out of the race.

In the midst of green-flag pit stops, Bowman tried to chop all the way down to the pit lane, however Reddick was there. They collided and each automobiles spun into the pit highway entrance, inflicting Suarez to swerve again out onto the observe.

The timing of this warning utterly derailed a high 5 run for Elliott, and adversely impacted different drivers as properly, similar to Bell, Buescher, Byron, and Cindric

There have been solely 15 automobiles left on the lead lap after the wave-arounds. Throughout the subsequent run, Berry went for a spin with some assist from Bell, slamming the wall. Berry suffered an excessive amount of injury and fell out of the race.

This warning helped Gibbs to get again onto the lead lap through the free go.

The remainder of the stage ran caution-free, with Logano placing a number of notable automobiles two laps down. On the very finish of the stage, he caught three Hendrick drivers, who barely prevented falling two laps down as properly.

Logano received Stage 2, far forward of Hamlin, Briscoe, Wallace, Van Gisbergen, Hocevar, Keselowski, Blaney, Gilliland, and Suarez.

T. Dillon was granted the free go, working fifteenth.

Stage 3

Logano continued to dominate into the ultimate stage of the race, however began to complain a couple of sticking brake pedal with about 125 laps to go. Hamlin, who was working second, remained a bit nearer on this run.

There was a bunch of automobiles two laps down that stayed out on the finish of the second stage, hoping to catch a fast yellow after taking the wave-around. That did not work out for them, they usually turned the primary drivers to pit beneath inexperienced for his or her ultimate cease.

Hamlin made his ultimate green-flag pit cease with 90 laps to go, and Logano instantly responded.

After stops cycled via, Hamlin remained near Logano as they lower via heavy visitors.

With 15 laps to go, Herbst was working arduous to carry up Logano, which helped his boss — Hamlin — rapidly shut in.

Nevertheless, he could not do something with the chief, ending second as Logano claimed victory for Workforce Penske.

Your complete ultimate stage ran caution-free, and solely six automobiles had been left on the lead lap. After the race, Hamlin shook fingers with Logano, applauding him on the spectacular win.

Photographs from North Wilkesboro – Sunday

Joey Logano earns dominant NASCAR Cup win at North Wilkesboro