There wasn’t anybody questioning the fact that Joey Logano was the quickest car in the field during Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, not far behind was Brad Keselowski, and the two former teammates put on an amazing show.
Over the final green-flag run of Sunday’s event, which surprisingly lasted 47 laps, it was a chess match between Logano and Keselowski, with the driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang continuously defending advances against the Team Penske driver.
As the field approached the final laps of Sunday’s event at Atlanta, Keselowski looked like he would be the driver to beat, controlling the runs and keeping the inside and outside line at bay, that was until Joey Logano’s final-lap move.
Logano, who started Sunday’s 400-mile contest from the pole position, squeaked to the outside of Keselowski in the middle of turns one and two with his Ford Mustang, getting track position and the advantage of a push from Christopher Bell to blast to the win.
The victory marks the first win of the season for a manufacturer other than Chevrolet and the 32nd in the NASCAR Cup Series for the defending series champion. Team Penske also secured its first victory of the year.
Brad Keselowski was able to maintain his momentum to finish second place, only his second top-five result in his new role as driver-owner of RFK Racing, the first of which came at Homestead last season.
Christopher Bell finished third, continuing an incredible string of races with another top-five result, and surging the No. 20 Toyota Camry TRD to second-place in NASCAR Cup Series points, one point behind race-winner Joey Logano.
Corey LaJoie, one of the best drivers on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s new configuration, scored another top-five result at the 1.5-mile facility, finishing a career-best fourth place. Tyler Reddick finished fifth, continuing the recovery from a poor start to 2023.
Denny Hamlin came home in sixth, with Ryan Blaney, and Erik Jones coming home in seventh and eighth. Ty Gibbs, in his rookie season for Joe Gibbs Racing, came home ninth, a career-best for the defending Xfinity Series champion.
Kyle Busch completed the top-10, after being involved in a massive accident in the middle of Sunday’s event, rebounding despite a damaged Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
Leaving Atlanta, Joey Logano holds a one-point advantage over Christopher Bell in NASCAR Cup Series point standings. Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, and Brad Keselowski sitting top-five in points heading to COTA.
Next weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Circuit of The Americas, for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, which will include the anticipated appearances of Jenson Button, Jordan Taylor, Kimi Raikkonen, and Jimmie Johnson.
