Joey Logano just ended a brutal 45-race winless streak with a totally dominant performance at North Wilkesboro Speedway! He absolutely owned the track, leading 323 out of 450 laps in the first points race there in 30 years, and it was the kind of victory that makes everyone sit up and pay attention.
Logano’s Comeback Was Unstoppable
Logano’s No. 22 Ford was just untouchable. Seriously, Denny Hamlin, who finished second and was trying everything he could to catch him, literally went up and dabbed him up out of respect! Hamlin called it “wildly, wildly impressive” and highlighted how Logano expertly maneuvered through traffic. This wasn’t just any win, either. It was Logano’s 38th career Cup win, his first since May 2025 at Texas, and it extends his insane streak of winning at least one race to 15 consecutive seasons. That’s the longest among active drivers, only late Kyle Busch has more with 19! Logano himself said a win anywhere would have been great, but doing it at North Wilkesboro? “Awesome.” You can tell this one meant something extra.
High Stakes and Wild Rides at North Wilkesboro
This race was a huge deal for Logano, especially for his season. He rolled into North Wilkesboro *outside* the top 16 in the Chase for the playoffs, but this victory rocketed him right inside the cutline at 15th place. Talk about capitalizing! Logano knew the stakes, saying he understood exactly what he needed to go fast there, having already dominated the 2024 All-Star race at NWS. He said, “I knew coming this weekend that we’ve got to capitalize on the points,” and boy, did he ever. It’s wild to think this track, built in 1947, sat dormant for a quarter-century after its last points race way back in 1996. Speedway Motorsports did a monumental job refurbishing it, clearing all those weeds and trees.
Beyond Logano’s triumph, there was plenty of other drama unfolding. The $1 million NASCAR In-Season Challenge finals are all set, with Ryan Blaney squaring off against Todd Gilliland next Sunday at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. Blaney beat Christopher Bell, and Gilliland topped Chase Elliott in the semifinals. Who’s gonna snag that million bucks? Then you had the wreck on lap 184 when Alex Bowman cut off Tyler Reddick attempting to hit pit row, spinning out the No. 45. Bowman admitted he thought he had a hole, but “maybe I didn’t.” Oof. It was also a super tough night for Ryan Blaney, who actually won last week at Atlanta and was supposed to start on the pole. Instead, his No. 12 Ford Mustang had a power steering pump issue, forcing him to the rear. To make things worse, a speeding penalty on pit row dropped him out of the top five and cost him 15 positions. What a brutal turn for the 2023 Cup Series champ!
Next Stop: Indy!
So now the Cup Series heads to Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400. Remember last year when Bubba Wallace grabbed his first crown jewel event after Austin Cindric blew a tire? Anything can happen there. With Logano back in the playoff hunt and that million-dollar In-Season Challenge on the line, next week is going to be absolutely wild. You don’t want to miss it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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