"There's not much you can say about a day like today," said Logano. "We tried everything we could to salvage the day, but it just wasn't happening for The Home Depot Team. I tried the high groove early and it was way too loose and I spun the car around. I didn't hit anything but we were back in the pack and had to play catch up. When the 98 car spun everyone checked up and I got into the back of the 19. It was downhill from there. I guess you can look at the bright side and say at least we crossed the finish line with four tires on the ground, we were out of gas but we finished."
Logano was optimistic heading into the 267-lap race after taking the checkered flag in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race just one day earlier. The 19-year old piloted the No. 20 Our House! Party Toyota co-branded with The Home Depot to his fourth victory of the season in the Nationwide Series after passing teammate Kyle Busch with three laps to go.
The green flag waved at Kansas on Sunday under sunny skies with Logano in the 18th position. He tried to pass in the high groove on lap two, but lost control of the No. 20 Toyota and spun. Logano kept the car off the wall and away from oncoming traffic but took a ride through the infield grass. He brought the car down pit road for fresh tires and to have debris cleaned up from under the car. When racing resumed on lap five, he was back in the 41st position. Just three laps later a multi-car wreck ensued in front of Logano and he dropped to the bottom of the track. Unfortunately he hit the 19 car square on the bumper caving in the nose of The Home Depot car. The crew changed the tires and patched up the front of the car before sending Logano back out onto the track in the 39th position.
Logano moved up to the 33rd position by lap 20, but told crew chief Greg Zipadelli the car was loose on exit. The team adjusted on the Home Depot Toyota through a green-flag stop on lap 55 and again under caution on lap 71. The green flag waved with Logano up to the 26th position on lap 74, but he told Zipadelli the car now had a vibration. He remained on the track and began dropping back in the field. He was passed by the leader on lap 118 and made an early green-flag stop on lap 121 because the vibration was getting worse. The team determined a loose lugnut on the right-rear tire was the cause of the vibration. Unfortunately for the team, the caution flag waved on lap 126 before the rest of the field had pitted, so Logano was now two laps down. Zipadelli told his driver to remain on the track to get the wave around and get one lap back.
Racing resumed on lap 130 with Logano in the 29th position and one lap down to the leader. At the midpoint of the 400-mile race there were only 24 cars remaining on the lead lap. He pitted under caution on lap 148 and told The Home Depot Crew something was wrong, he lost power steering. He continued to battle and fell a second lap down to the leader again on lap 194. The handling of the car was better, but it was difficult to get the car to turn off the corner. When the final caution waved on lap 236, Zipadelli told his driver to stay out and get the wave around again to put them one lap down. The crew hoped for a quick caution so they could put fresh tires on the car and a splash of fuel, but the yellow flag never waved. Knowing the No. 20 Toyota was a little short on gas, Zipadelli directed his driver to save as much fuel as possible. He took the white flag in the 27th position, but called in to tell the team he ran out of gas through the first two turns. He was able to coast the car across the stripe to take the checkered flag in the 28th position.
Logano remains 20th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings following the 28th-place finish. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch finished fifth and 12th respectively. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads west to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. next weekend. The race is scheduled for a 3:15 p.m. EDT start on Sunday on ABC. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide the live radio broadcast of the event.
