Joey Logano utilized solid teamwork with his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney to grab the lead in Stage 1 of Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, but on the final lap of the Stage, the two got disconnected.
The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates of Erik Jones, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin attempted to surge past Logano, but Logano put on some wild blocking maneuvers and was able to hold on for the Stage 1 win.
This is Logano’s fifth Stage Win of 2020.
Erik Jones, who has never won a Stage and is not currently locked into the Playoffs, was second.
Tyler Reddick finished third, Blaney ended up fourth and Jimmie Johnson finished the Stage in fifth.
The fifth place finish in Stage 1 is huge for Johnson, as he gained two points on William Byron (was four behind him heading into the race) and six points on Matt DiBenedetto (was nine behind heading into race) in the feverish battle for the final Playoff transfer spot.
This race is the final chance for drivers to lock themselves into the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Christopher Bell was sixth and he was followed by Byron, Michael McDowell, Hamlin and Kyle Busch in the top-10.
The Stage had just one caution, which was the scheduled competition yellow at lap 20.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 1:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Erik Jones | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Jimmie Johnson | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Christopher Bell | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | William Byron | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Michael McDowell | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Kyle Busch | 1 | 0 |
