Hamlin, Logano divide stage wins at Texas Motor Speedway
Staff Report
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Denny Hamlin took control near the midway point of Sunday's Monster Energy Series race, winning Stage 2 at Texas Motor Speedway.
RELATED: Stage 2 results
Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota led 15 laps in the second segment of the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 and benefited from a fuel-only pit stop to be out front when Stage 2 ended at Lap 170. Hamlin scored his first stage win of the year and banked a playoff point for use in the 10-race postseason.
Ryan Blaney took second in Stage 2 with Daniel Suarez completing the top three. Kyle Busch, vying for a tripleheader sweep of the weekend's national-series races, came home fourth in Stage 2.
Brad Keselowski, last week's winner at Martinsville Speedway, encountered mechanical issues during the Stage 1 intermission. His Team Penske No. 2 Ford returned to the race 56 laps down after spending substantial time in the garage.
The problems were worse for Kyle Larson, whose Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet clouted the Turn 2 wall on Lap 148. The caution flag came during a cycle of pit stops, jumbling the running order.
Joey Logano, the Stage 1 winner, was the beneficiary of the yellow flag, but sustained a penalty for an uncontrolled tire during his pit stop. His Team Penske No. 22 Ford was 15th at the end of Stage 2.
The scheduled distance for Sunday's event is 334 laps.
Finish
Driver
Team
Race Points
1
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
10
2
Ryan Blaney
Team Penske
9
3
Daniel Suarez
Stewart-Haas Racing
8
4
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing
7
5
Paul Menard
Wood Brothers Racing
6
6
Ryan Newman
Roush Fenway Racing
5
7
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Roush Fenway Racing
4
8
William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports
3
9
Michael McDowell
Front Row Motorsports
2
10
Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports
1
STAGE 1
Joey Logano showed early signs of strength Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, surging to a Stage 1 victory.
Logano led just four of the opening 85 laps in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500, but drove from the eighth starting spot to take the No. 1 position. The performance marked the second stage win of the season for the driver of the Team Penske No. 22 Ford.
Pole-starter Jimmie Johnson led 60 laps and finished second in the first stage, with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott third on the 1.5-mile track.
The opening portion of the race was slowed by one caution period, triggered when Erik Jones' No. 20 Toyota spun through Turn 2. Jones, who has four national-series wins at the Fort Worth venue, continued without contact and completed the stage in 26th place, one lap down.