NASCAR Cup Series: Joey Logano wins 2019 Gander RV Duel 2

Joey Logano shot from fourth to first place on the final lap of Gander RV Duel 2 to win the race and to secure a second row starting position in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season opener, the Daytona 500.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano led only one lap of the Gander RV Duel 2, but he led the final lap of it to win it and to secure the fourth place starting position in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season opener, the 61st annual Daytona 500, at Daytona International Speedway.

Logano, who started the 60-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway oval in Daytona Beach, Florida in third place in his #22 Ford, won it by 0.126 seconds over Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer, who finished in second place in his #14 Ford.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola finished in third place in his #10 Ford to give Ford drivers a 1-2-3 sweep. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin was the highest finishing Toyota driver of the race. He finished in fourth in his #11 Toyota. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch was the highest finishing Chevrolet driver of the race. He finished in fifth in his #1 Chevrolet.

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Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, Spire Motorsports’ Jamie McMurray, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and Germain Racing’s Ty Dillon rounded out the top 10 by finishing in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th place in their #12 Ford, #40 Chevrolet, #9 Chevrolet, #3 Chevrolet and #13 Chevrolet, respectively.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, who started the race from the pole position and is set to start the Daytona 500 on the front row in second place, finished in 13th place in his #88 Chevrolet.

Like teammate William Byron, who is set to start the Daytona 500 from the pole position, did during Gander RV Duel 1, Bowman strategically moved toward the back of the field to avoid putting his car in a risky situation. Had he been involved in a wreck, he likely would have been forced to use a backup car for the Daytona 500, which would have resulted in him losing his second place starting position for the race.

The race featured a total of four lead changes among four drivers. Aside of Logano, who led only the race’s final lap, three drivers led at least one lap of the race. Bowyer led more laps than anybody else in the field by far with 41 laps led. Bowman led the race’s first 11 laps and Beard Motorsports’ Brendan Gaughan led seven laps of it en route to a 15th place finish in his #62 Chevrolet.

Heading into the race’s final lap, Bowyer had the lead over Hamlin in second place, Almirola in third, Logano in fourth and Blaney in fifth. Bowyer had led 41 consecutive laps at this point.

Heading into turn one, Logano pulled out into the inside lane, and Blaney pulled out into the inside lane behind him. This gave Logano enough momentum to pass Almirola for third place, Hamlin for second and Bowyer for the lead of the race coming out of turn two, and he never looked back.

All 21 of the drivers who started the race finished it, and 12 drivers finished it on the lead lap.

Here are the full race results of the 2019 Gander RV Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway.

Race Results
1st – Joey Logano
2nd – Clint Bowyer
3rd – Aric Almirola
4th – Denny Hamlin
5th – Kurt Busch
6th – Ryan Blaney
7th – Jamie McMurray
8th – Chase Elliott
9th – Austin Dillon
10th – Ty Dillon
11th – David Ragan
12th – Kyle Larson
13th – Alex Bowman
14th – Erik Jones
15th – Brendan Gaughan
16th – Corey Lajoie
17th – Casey Mears
18th – Michael McDowell
19th – Ross Chastain
20th – Joey Gase
21st – B.J. McLeod

The live broadcast of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season opener, the 61st annual Daytona 500, from Daytona International Speedway is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox this Sunday, February 17, so be sure to tune in to it.