NASCAR Cup in Madison: Kyle Busch offers victory to Joey Logano in the last lap (+ video)

Joey Logano became the first winner of a NASCAR Cup series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois on Sunday, beating Kyle Busch after a race that ended in overtime.

The No.22 Team Penske Ford driver led just 22 of the Enjoy Illinois 300’s 245 laps en route to his second win of the season, his 29th in the series. However, until two corners from the end, it was Kyle Busch who seemed to be heading for victory but, without the two adversaries needing to make contact, Busch (Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing) came out of the ideal trajectory and opened the door to Logano despite himself.

Kyle finished 655 milliseconds behind at the checkered flag. His older brother Kurt finished third in his 23XI Racing Toyota. Great performance also from Ryan Blaney, one of Logano’s teammates, who recovered from a spin to finish fourth, and Aric Almirola who completed the Top 5 and was particularly aggressive with his Ford of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Martin Truex Jr (Toyota/Joe Gibbs Racing) finished sixth for his 600th NASCAR Cup Series race, ahead of Erik Jones (Chevrolet/Petty GMS Motorsports).

Eighth, Ross Chastain was one of the great animators of this race. But the already double winner this season was rather signaled by his voluntary and repeated contacts with two opponents during the first half of the race. It was first Denny Hamlin (Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing) that the driver of the No.1 Chevrolet of Trackhouse Racing rubbed shoulders, sending him into the wall of turn 2, causing a neutralization on lap 64 Hamlin then continued at a reduced pace, repeatedly stalling Chastain’s car a few laps later to show his displeasure, which earned him a reprimand from race control (a fairly rare occurrence in the NASCAR Cup).

Chastain then triggered another neutralization on lap 101 after hitting the Chevrolet/Hendrick Motorsports of Chase Elliott. The contact also caused a collision with the Toyota (23XI Racing) of Bubba Wallace. Six rounds later, Elliott also showed his frustration at Chastain pushing him several times on a raise, before taking the upper hand. Elliott finished 21st and Hamlin – winner of the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend – was 34th, 11 laps behind the leaders.

Christoher Bell and AJ Allmendinger, who started last after arriving last night from Portland where he won the Xfinity Series race, completed the Top 10. For the full standings, click here.

Qualifying on pole position, Chase Briscoe led the first 27 laps until his Ford/Stewart-Haas Racing suffered a puncture. He lost a lap after a pit stop following this incident and finished 24th, having regained the lost lap.

The next race in the NASCAR Cup Series is scheduled for next Sunday in California at the Sonoma road course.

For highlights from Sunday’s race in Madison, watch the video below.