Logano Is A Million-Dollar Man As Busch & Stenhouse Brawl

WILKESBORO, N.C. - Joey Logano led all but one lap Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway en route to his second career NASCAR All-Star Race win, becoming the ninth driver to win the annual non-points exhibition more than once.

After the qualifying sessions and heat races were scrubbed due to weather, the Middletown, Conn., native was given the pole for the 200-lap feature and never looked back from there.

Logano earned a winner's prize of $1 million for his efforts at the recently repaved five-eighths-mile oval.

“[Racing is] a lot of fun when you’ve got a car this fast. The Shell/Pennzoil Mustang, it’s just so great to get in victory lane,” Logano said as fireworks erupted around him, earning his first win in a NASCAR Cup Series car of any kind since a points-paying score at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March of 2023.

“It feels nice. It’s been a while. I wish it was for points, but a million bucks is still a lot of money and I feel great about that.”

The action got started early with a lap-two dustup between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., ending the day of the latter.

The early caution allowed for some strategy calls to be made. Teams were required to start on the softer compound option tires, but could switch to the primary, harder compound tires at any point after the initial green flag.

Some drivers, like defending All-Star Race winner Kyle Larson, elected to take advantage of the early yellow and make such a swap, giving him almost fresh scuffed red tires for later in the night.

Larson had to come from the rear of the field after missing All-Star practice Friday because of his Indianapolis 500 qualifying obligations at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

The Elk Grove, Calif., driver is contesting the Memorial Day weekend “Double” next Sunday by racing in the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

The race ran green from the early restart until the lap-100 competition caution, where a mandatory four-tire pit stop was required by all teams. Logano won the race off of pit road, allowing him to retain his lead.

It was during this pit cycle that Brad Keselowski notched a single lap led, denying Logano a flag-to-flag effort.

Shortly after going back green, Ty Gibbs went for a spin in turn one with 83 to go, marking the final incident of the race.

Christopher Bell gave Logano a brief challenge on the next restart, but after a few laps, Logano had built his lead back up. This battle also brought Denny Hamlin and Chris Buescher into the fray.

The final caution flew with 50 laps left as the second and final competition yellow of the race. Contrary to the prior All-Star caution, pit stops were optional. With 10 drivers staying out, several cars further back pitted for fresh tires, led by Larson.

Larson took his scuffs from early in the race at that point and made a charge from 10th to third, making a case to potentially go back-to-back in the million-dollar exhibition.

His efforts stopped short, as tire wear began to equalize, letting Logano seal his dominant day.

Hamlin hung tough for second, with Buescher taking third on the last lap and forcing Larson to settle for fourth. Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five.

As a fireworks show took place behind the track, a different kind of fireworks show brewed and boiled over in the garage.

After Kyle Busch returned to his hauler following a tenth-place effort, an angry Stenhouse sat in wait. With no way to leave the race track after his DNF, Stenhouse was left to stew on the earlier incident, and tempers ultimately flared.

The altercation reached a head when Stenhouse connected with a right hook to Busch’s face. The crews, security, and even Stenhouse’s father mixed it up until they were separated.

“He kept saying I wrecked him,” Stenhouse said after the scuffle. “I was excited for the rest of the night and [Busch] ruined it.”

Busch declined to comment after the fight.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway Sunday night, May 26, for the sport’s longest night. Coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 begins at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.