Joey Logano, sneaking into the Round of 8 by the skin of his teeth, won the race at Las Vegas Speedway, outpacing Christopher Bell and securing his spot in the Championship 4. Logano’s win, fueled by a savvy fuel-saving strategy, didn’t go without controversy, as Bell suggested Ryan Blaney’s involvement aided Logano’s victory.
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Blaney, who finished a distant P32, was reportedly sticking close to Logano in the race’s closing stages. Despite having the fastest car on the track, Bell found himself coming up short. He attributed part of Logano’s success not just to individual strategy but to Team Penske’s cohesive teamwork.
In his post-race interview, Bell reflected, “Regardless of how much time he had, the 12 car was with Joey trying to play defense for him. So, it was going to take the right move to get by him but we had, what was it, 30 almost 40 lap newer tires? […] I think it’s fair game and you know, props to him.”
He added, “I think the 22 winning was probably bad for the 12. Because they’re racing each other for points to get in. So, you know, Penske, they won the race and got one car in so they did it right.”
Christopher Bell on the finish and whether Ryan Blaney was playing any defense for Joey Logano and what Blaney said about it: pic.twitter.com/TeV9y4VgL8
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 20, 2024
Notably, the #22 hasn’t always been the fleetest on the track. Victory in stock car racing often doesn’t hinge on raw speed. Instead, strategies like fuel conservation have historically paved the way to the finish line.
Blaney reacts to the comments made by Bell
When Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass brought up Bell’s comments to Blaney, the Team Penske driver responded by suggesting that Bell should ideally gone for the opportunity to overtake Logano instead of accusing the #12 of blocking, not sure why the #20 thinks that way.
Blaney explained, “The #22 got to me to the last corner. I don’t know why does he think I’m blocking him for. I’m running the top, I’m not taking anyone’s air away. He should have maybe got to the #22 quicker. He would have been able to pass me pretty easy. But he was half-long too late.”
The #12, who had rallied from the back after a mishap in practice where he lost a tire and crashed into the wall, managed to lead for four laps during the race.
