NASCAR Barometer: Logano Becomes First 2020 Repeat Winner

Logano Wins Overtime Restart in Phoenix

Joey Logano earned his second win of the season on the track that he will visit again later this fall in a winner-take-all championship battle. The Penske Racing driver was one of the fastest cars throughout the race, but mistakes on pit road threatened to ruin his afternoon multiple times. Kevin Harvick was the main challenger waiting to pick up the pieces should Logano drop them. In the end, it was Logano's No. 22 machine that had the legs on Harvick, as Logano was able to pull away on the final overtime restart to win his second race of the season.

This week, the series heads back east to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Harvick won his first series race at that track, and Logano's teammate Brad Keselowski won the last edition of the race in 2019. The track is the first 1.5-mile quad-oval this season and has seen three Ford winners in the last three outings.

UPGRADE

Joey Logano – Logano became the first repeat winner of the 2020 season, taking the checkered flag in an overtime restart at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday. His win was not straight forward despite having one of the fastest cars, but he persevered and battled hard to come out ahead of Phoenix master Kevin Harvick. He suffered multiple issues on pit road including an uncontrolled tire and a broken jack, but he would not be denied an impressive run back to the front to capture his second win of the season. His win on Sunday could be indicative of things to come for the championship finale if he is able to make his way the entire distance in championship contention. He has never won at Atlanta Motor Speedway but should still be one to watch this week, too.

Kevin Harvick – Harvick leveraged a quick pit stop under caution to overtake Chase Elliott and grab the first stage win at Phoenix last Sunday. He seemed to be the unbeatable Harvick of the past at Phoenix, but in the final restarts, it was Logano's Ford that had the edge on the No. 4 machine. Still, a second-place finish is nothing to sneeze at, and he and the team will continue to build momentum as the season continues. Harvick's first Cup series win came in Atlanta in 2001. His second win at the circuit came just two years ago in the 2018 edition of this race. He was fourth last year after starting 18th, and he will continue to be a driver fantasy owners rank highly each week.

Brad Keselowski – Despite getting turned around in the first stage, Keselowski got things squared away and pulled into the lead to win the second stage Sunday afternoon. It was his first stage win at the track and showed that he could contend with Harvick and Chase Elliott for the race win. Damage from the earlier contact didn't slow him down, but grip in the final miles forced him to give up the lead and slip a bit farther in the pack as his teammate went on to win. Keselowski has won two of the last three races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and finished second in the other. He has finished inside the top 10 in each of the last five races at the track.

Chase Elliott – Elliott earned his first pole position of the 2020 season with a stellar lap in Phoenix Saturday afternoon. The Hendrick Motorsports driver said prior to the weekend the team wasn't lacking speed but were more waiting for circumstances to fall their direction. Those circumstances played out Sunday as he raced in the top five throughout the race distance. With just a bit more luck, Elliott could have finished a bit higher than the seventh-place result with which he was credited. The team is on the edge of a breakthrough, which could mean big things as the season barrels forward to Atlanta. In four Atlanta starts, Elliott has finished inside the top 10 three times. Last year's race was his worst finish at the track in 19th position.

DOWNGRADE

Ryan Blaney – For the fourth time in a row luck was not on Blaney's side. He was caught up in Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski's tangle in a late restart during the first stage on Sunday. The contact was the worst for him of the three, which was just par for the course for how his season has been going so far this year. Blaney has had plenty of speed this year, but luck has not given him the opportunity to capitalize on the pace he has had. He needs to get the monkey off his back, but it seems like once he does, the wins will begin to flow. Blaney has four Atlanta starts under his belt but has yet to finish inside the top 10 at the track.

Denny Hamlin – On the weekend that Toyota seemed to have something for the Fords and Chevrolets, Hamlin was racing well but lost control on a first-stage restart and collected Keselowski and Blaney. The damage ended Blaney's day, but Hamlin and Keselowski soldiered on. Hamlin ultimately came out of the wreck second worst, though. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had heavy damage that relegated him to a mid-pack run from then on. He worked hard to salvage a top-20 finish, but after having a car that was capable of fighting for the win, it seems like a missed opportunity. Hamlin won in Atlanta in 2012 but has not been at his best in the last five seasons when he has had two 38th-place finishes and just one top-five.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Stenhouse has made a habit of cycling to the front of the field with brave calls on pit road in the first few races this season. That should have been the case again in Phoenix, but he didn't make it far enough into the race to make that a factor. Before the end of the first stage, Stenhouse lost control and backed into the outside wall, ending his chances to make more strategy calls that could push him forward in the running order. He returned to the track and continued adding points to his tally, but late contact with John Hunter Nemechek put the nail in the coffin of the afternoon. Stenhouse has just one top-10 finish from seven career Atlanta starts.

Erik Jones – Jones was one of many drivers who suffered from contact with the outside wall Sunday in Phoenix. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver couldn't take advantage of the ground the Toyotas made this past weekend after spinning and then grinding to a halt against the barrier after being in contention to battle in the top 10. The damage was heavy and ensured that he wouldn't even be able to salvage a top-20 finish from the trip. Jones has only visited Atlanta in the Cup series three times, but his average finish is 10.7. He snagged his first top-10 there in last season's race and needs to recover from last week's pain as quickly as possible to continue his fight to remain in playoff contention and perhaps win a race.

Tyler Reddick – Reddick ended up in the wall at Phoenix despite running within striking distance of the lead throughout most of the distance. It was the second race so far this season where Reddick failed to finish in the top 20 and was his worst finish of the year. His speed prior to his mistake was what was most disappointing, though. Had he been able to make it to the finish, it was looking like a guaranteed top-10 finish, which would have been his first of the season. Reddick has two Xfinity series starts at Atlanta with a best finish of fifth from 2019. Things are still coming together for this young driver, and fantasy owners may want to temper their expectations of him until the second half of the season.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson's upturn in form continued right through Sunday's race at Phoenix Raceway. The veteran driver in his final year of full-time competition is proving that he still has plenty of fight left in him. He was a regular face inside the top 10 throughout all of Sunday's race and remained there in the final miles. That type of effort is exactly what it takes to win races, and it seems like Johnson has yet to win the final time in his storied career. He has five prior wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway and had back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016. His results at the track since then haven't been nearly as good, but fantasy owners should expect another top-10 type of afternoon from him this week, too.