Xfinity: Logano Wins Round of 12 Finale at Charlotte
By Alex Herbst
Hurricane Matthew may have delayed the show, but Joey Logano came out on top in the final Xfinity chase race in the Round of 12.
The weather outside was frightful on Friday night, as Hurricane Matthew beared down on the Carolinas. That delayed the Xfinity Series cut-off race before Round of 8 in the chase to Sunday afternoon. Joey Logano, one of the few double dippers on the day, would take a late race win at Charlotte in the Drive for the Cure 300.
Kyle Larson, who was among the few who also ran in the Cup Series race earlier on Sunday, dominated most of the race. He led 165 of the 200 laps, and at one point was the only car remaining on the lead lap. Nine cars would end up completing all 200 circuits, with Larson sliding back on the final restart to finish fourth after contact with the wall.
Following a restart on Lap 182, Larson lost the lead to Logano. The driver of the #12 Ford would have to hold off Elliott Sadler for the win, with Sadler being the best of the Chase drivers in second. Daniel Suarez, Larson, and Erik Jones rounded out the top five.
Meanwhile, the biggest story of the day was the cut-off drama for the Xfinity Series chase. Coming into the race, two of the drivers considered favorites to win it all – Erik Jones and Ty Dillon – were below the cut-off line. After the race, only one point separated the last driver in and the first driver out. Darrell Wallace Jr., who finished 20th on the day, was one point to the good. Ty Dillon, who finished 11th, missed the Round of 8 by one point.
Here are the full results from the Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Xfinity Series:
- Joey Logano, Ford, Team Penske
- Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
- Daniel Suarez, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Erik Jones, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
- Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
- Matt Tifft, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Brad Keselowski, Ford, Team Penske
- Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, RSS Racing
- Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Blake Koch, Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing
- Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Ryan Reed, Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
- Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Jeb Burton, Ford, Biagi-Den Beste Racing
- Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, JGL Racing
- Darrell Wallace Jr., Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
- Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, JD Motorsports
- Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, Jeremy Clements Racing
- Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, JD Motorsports
- Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
- Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, JD Motorsports
- Clint King, Ford, Rick Ware Racing
- JJ Yeley, Toyota, Tri-Star Motorsports
- Ray Black Jr., Chevrolet, SS Green Light Racing
- David Starr, Chevrolet, RSS Racing
- B.J. McLeod, Ford, McLeod Motorsports
- Martin Roy, Chevrolet, King Autosport
- Joey Gase, Chevrolet, Means Racing
- Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Obiaka Racing
- Brandon Hightower, Dodge, MBM Racing
- Chris Cockrum, Chevrolet, Rick Ware Racing
- Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Derrike Cope Racing
- Jeff Green, Toyota, Tri-Star Motorsports
- Mike Harmon, Dodge, Harmon Racing
- Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Shepherd Racing Ventures
- Timmy Hill, Toyota, MBM Racing
With the conclusion of the Round of 12, the second round of the Xfinity Series chase gets underway at Kansas next week in the Round of 8. Here is how the chase grid will look heading into the nation’s heartland:
- Daniel Suarez
- Elliott Sadler
- Justin Allgaier
- Erik Jones
- Brendan Gaughan
- Ryan Reed
- Darrell Wallace Jr.
- Blake Koch
Related Story: Jimmie Johnson Punches His Ticket to the Round of 8
The next race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series comes in one week from the Kansas Speedway. Help the young guns kick off the Round of 8 in the series chase in the Kansas Lottery 300, live on October 15 on NBC.