To stay or to go? That was the question heading into the final stretch of the Pennzoil 400. Joey Logano decided to stay, and his decision paid off with his second straight victory at the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas.
Ross Chastain, who filled in for Ryan Newman in the No. 6 Ford, spun out with six laps to go and out came the late caution flag. The 23 drivers on the lead lap had to decide between getting new tires for the last few laps or sticking with their current conditions and preserving position. Ryan Blaney was in the lead and decided to stop on pit road, while Logano and Matt DiBenedetto were two of only seven drivers who decided to stay out on the track.
The race restarted with three laps remaining. A caution on the last lap made the decision for Logano and DiBenedetto end in first and second-place finishes, respectively. Byron came in disappointed with an 11th place finish.
"There was a little confusion but it worked out," Logano said after the race. "Winning the Pennzoil 400 with the Pennzoil car means a lot. Proud of the effort, everybody here prepared a great car and executed the race perfectly."All bets were off as the field took the white flag. 🏳
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
Here's what happened further back in the pack to bring out the caution. pic.twitter.com/A55Ln2oQUL
A fast car (and a nice push from @StenhouseJr ) helped send @joeylogano to the lead at @LVMotorSpeedway .
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 24, 2020
He breaks down the final restart. 👇 pic.twitter.com/A094caFzkj
Chase Elliott claimed both stages and led 70 laps but ultimately wound up 26th after a flat tire sent him into the wall with 45 laps left. Kevin Harvick, who led a race-high 92 laps, ended the day with an eighth-place finish.
NASCAR returned to action after an opening weekend that saw Denny Hamlin win his second straight Daytona 500 and Ryan Newman get in a scary crash that sent him to the hospital. Newman was released from Halifax Medical Center fewer than 48 hours after he was admitted, but didn't race this weekend. Chastain took over for Newman's No. 6 car and finished in 27th after spinning out with six laps to go, as the NASCAR Cup Series went to Las Vegas for the Pennzoil 400.
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The race started with the 1980 U.S. Men’s Olympic “Miracle on Ice” hockey team giving the command to start engines, one day after the 40th anniversary of taking home the gold medal.
Sporting News provided lap-by-lap updates and highlights from the Pennzoil 400. Follow below for complete results from NASCAR's race in Las Vegas.
NASCAR at Las Vegas live updates, highlights from Pennzoil 400
6:50 p.m. ET — Joey Logano wins it! A crash on Turn 1 brings out the yellow flag on the last lap. Logano wins the Pennzoil 400.
Burn it down, @joeylogano ! 🏁 @Team_Penske | @LVMotorSpeedway pic.twitter.com/5lOhad8zWQ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
Unofficial Top 10:
— PRN (@PRNlive) February 23, 2020
1. Logano
2. DiBenedetto
3. Stenhouse Jr.
4. Austin Dillon
5. Johnson
6. Wallace
7. Keselowski
8. Harvick
9. Larson
10. Ty Dillon #Pennzoil400
6:45 p.m. ET — Restart order with two laps to go: 1. Logano; 2. Byron; 3. DiBenedetto; 4. Stenhouse; 5. Reddick; 6. A. Dillon; 7. Keselowski; 8. Wallace; 9. Johnson; 10. Truex.
6:42 p.m. ET — Three laps to go. Seven drivers did not pit. Logano, Byron and DiBenedetto stay out. Blaney, Keselowski and Bowman are among those who went to pit road.
6:40 p.m. ET — CAUTION: Ross Chastain takes a spin with six laps to go. Blaney in the lead. 23 drivers on the lead lap.
Caution. 6 to go. Now things get interesting. pic.twitter.com/SZEJBRzc19
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 23, 2020
6:37 p.m. ET — Blaney in the lead! 12 laps to go. Alex Bowman in the No. 88 has shot up, going back and forth with Logano for second.
NEW LEADER: @Blaney gets around his @Team_Penske teammate @joeylogano for the top spot!
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
But @AlexBowman88 is closing! pic.twitter.com/FFiXuwegWc
6:35 p.m. ET — Jimmie Johnson is sitting in 10th. 15 laps to go. Logano about two-tenths of a second ahead of Blaney. Jeff Gordon just said on the broadcast that he thinks Blaney is the guy to beat right now.
6:28 p.m. ET — 30 laps remain and Joey Logano is in the lead. Harvick is close behind with Blaney, Stenhouse Jr. and Keselowski rounding out the top five.
6:22 p.m. ET — The restart looks like this: 1) Stenhouse 2) Nemechek 3) Blaney 4) Logano 5) Byron 6) Harvick 7) Truex 8) Keselowski 9) Johnson 10) DiBenedetto
FOUR-WIDE on the restart!
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
The green flies again in the #Pennzoil400 !
📺: FOX
📻: @PRNlive / @SiriusXMNASCAR
💻: https://t.co/oWWAut6pxx
📊: https://t.co/5xaVuS0qt9 pic.twitter.com/JdUATZMiEa
6:18 p.m. ET — Ahead of the restart:
There are only 3 cars on the lead lap: Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Ryan Preece and John Hunter Nemechek.
— PRN (@PRNlive) February 23, 2020
so we're gonna get a lot of wave-arounds and reset the order in a couple minutes.
6:14 p.m. ET — CAUTION: Chase Elliot goes into the wall. Sounds like it was a flat tire that sent him spinning into the wall. Tough break for Elliot on an otherwise great day. Ricky Stenhouse is now the leader with 45 laps to go.
Trouble for @chaseelliott brings out the latest caution at @LVMotorSpeedway .
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
Take a look at what happened to the No. 9. pic.twitter.com/RopgnyzXNb
6:12 p.m. ET — 50 laps to go. Just like at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2, Chase Elliot is in the lead. Ryan Blaney is a bit over a second behind, followed by Logano, Byron, Keselowski and Johnson. A lot of activity is coming into pit road.
6:06 p.m. ET — Annnnddddd it's gone. Chase Elliot back on top.
For the lead! pic.twitter.com/Sx8LMCIci3
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 23, 2020
6:04 p.m. ET — Ryan Blaney takes the lead.
The lead changes hands again!
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
This time, it's @Blaney who goes to the front! pic.twitter.com/R7vcnPHjqv
5:54 p.m. ET — Kevin Harvick back in the lead.
5:53 p.m. ET — Restart order with 87 laps to go: 1) Logano 2) Blaney 3) Harvick 4) Johnson 5) Bowman 6) Elliott 7) Larson 8) Reddick 9) Kurt Busch 10) Kyle Busch
5:47 p.m. ET — Caution is back out after Martin Truex Jr. rubs against the wall.
Contact with the wall for MTJ!
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
Significant damage for @MartinTruex_Jr ! pic.twitter.com/lCdFQo0lmb
5:43 p.m. ET — Kevin Harvick is the leader.
5:40 p.m. ET — Just when you thought we would get back into the action?
John Hunter Nemechek: hold my beer.
Annnnd the caution comes back out as @JHNemechek goes for a slide.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
Leaderboard: https://t.co/5xaVuSi1kH pic.twitter.com/f8BdddsZjb
5:38 p.m. ET — Elite athleticism from the pit crew of Martin Truex Jr.
Now that's impressive. pic.twitter.com/g0eje0MXRD
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 23, 2020
5:35 p.m. ET — Restart order with 100 laps to go: 1)Blaney 2) Elliott 3) Byron 4) Logano 5) Harvick 6) KyleBusch 7) Bowman 8) Johnson 9) Larson 10) Kurt Busch
5:27 p.m. ET — A caution is out on the final lap of Stage 2. Chase Elliot has swept the first two stages of the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas. Christopher Bell got caught up on the inside before getting turned into the wall. The caution came out.
Chase Elliott sweeps the stages of the #Pennzoil400 at @LVMotorSpeedway .
— PRN (@PRNlive) February 23, 2020
2. Blaney
3. Truex Jr.
4. Byron
5. Logano
6. Harvick
7. Johnson
8. Larson
9. Bowman
10. Kyle Busch #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/2CtmhbJlxC
5:20 p.m. ET — Stenhouse makes a pit stop with 15 laps to go. His team said they had a strategy by holding out from the pit for so long, but wouldn't disclose what it is. A note just made on the broadcast that shows why being in the lead after Stage 2 is so important: Every driver who has led after Stage 2 in the last five races in Las Vegas? They've all gone on to win the race.
5:16 p.m. ET — 20 laps remain in Stage 2 and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. continues to lead. He's the only one in the top group who hasn't taken a pitstop. How long can he go?
5:08 p.m. ET — Lots of action going on in pit road. Ricky Stenhouse is now in the lead after many drivers took a pit stop. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin nearly collided when Johnson was exiting and Hamlin was entering.
"No, after you."
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
"No, I insist, after you."
"NO ... after YOU." @dennyhamlin | @JimmieJohnson pic.twitter.com/i0CQizoP0X
5:00 p.m. ET — 110 laps in. 167 to go.
50 to go in Stage 2:
— PRN (@PRNlive) February 23, 2020
1. Elliott
2. Truex Jr.
3. Harvick
4. Logano
5. Blaney
6. Johnson
7. Byron
8. Bowman
9. Larson
10. Almirola #Pennzoil400 | #NASCAR
4:52 p.m. ET — Lots of action off the restart: Jimmie Johnson is battling to crack the top-5; Kyle Busch has moved all the way from the end to 11th; Chase Elliot back in the lead after a brief stop in second and third.
These restarts are ... wow. 😳
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
The racing from @LVMotorSpeedway is heating up! (📺: FOX) pic.twitter.com/Ltz7dzaP5Z
4:38 p.m. ET — Chase Elliot finishes Stage 1 in first place.
Chase Elliott drives away to win Stage 1 presented by @CocaCola !
— PRN (@PRNlive) February 23, 2020
2. Truex Jr.
3. Harvick
4. Blaney
5. Logano
6. Byron
7. Larson
8. Bowman
9. Johnson
10. Chastain #Pennzoil400 | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/1sIlRooGtF
4:34 p.m. ET — Ross Chastain has joined the top 10 while he races in Ryan Newman's No. 6.
As we approach the end of Stage 1, @RossChastain pilots the @roushfenway No. 6 into the top 10. pic.twitter.com/iYR4rd60Vh
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
4:31 p.m. ET — Chase Elliot keeps on keeping on. Now he's in the lead.
Elliott takes the lead from Harvick. Lap 67. Harvick said he is losing the front end. nascar @NASCARONFOX
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 23, 2020
4:28 p.m. ET — Chase Elliot moves into second place 65 laps in.
... make that the top ✌️ for @chaseelliott . pic.twitter.com/Va37w8v9sR
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
4:20 p.m. ET — Chase Elliot is into third behind Truex Jr. and Harvick (in first) heading into Lap 50.
4:04 p.m. ET — The second caution flag of the day is out. Competition caution comes out after Lap 25. Current positioning: 1. Harvick 2. Truex Jr. 3. Logano 4. Elliott 5. Blaney.
4:00 p.m. ET — Kevin Harvick just barely bumped into Joey Logano at the front of the pack. Both stayed steady. Harvick in the lead at Lap 23 with Logano right behind.
A closssssse call early for the leaders as @KevinHarvick bypasses @joeylogano for the top spot! 😬
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2020
FOX | https://t.co/oWWAusOO8X pic.twitter.com/p36rBDjaNu
3:54 p.m. ET — The caution is off and we're on to Lap 9. Suarez is back out there two laps behind.
3:49 p.m. ET — We are already under caution just a minute into the race. Daniel Suarez stalled and he has gone to pit stall. His team will try to assess the problem.
3:48 p.m. ET — The green flag has been waved and we are underway. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin are starting first and fourth, respectively, but will fall to the rear to start the race due to L1 violations.
Pennzoil 400 results: 2020 winner, order of finish
Finish | Driver |
1. | Joey Logano |
2. | Matt DiBenedetto |
3. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
4. | Austin Dillon |
5. | Jimmie Johnson |
6. | Bubba Wallace |
7. | Brad Keselowski |
8. | Kevin Harvick |
9. | Kyle Larson |
10. | Ty Dillon |
11. | Ryan Blaney |
12. | Clint Bowyer |
13. | Alex Bowman |
14. | Kyle Busch |
15. | Chris Buescher |
16. | Corey Lajoie |
17. | Denny Hamlin |
18. | Tyler Reddick |
19. | Cole Custer |
20. | Martin Truex Jr. |
21. | Aric Almirola |
22. | William Byron |
23. | Erik Jones |
24. | John Hunter Nemechek |
25. | Kurt Busch |
26. | Chase Elliot |
27. | Ross Chastain |
28. | JJ Yeley |
29. | Brennan Poole |
30. | Daniel Suarez |
31. | Joey Gase |
32. | Quin Houff |
33. | Christopher Bell |
34. | Reed Sorenson |
35. | Garrett Smithley |
36. | Michael McDowell |
37. | Ryan Preece |
38. | Timmy Hill |