Ambetter Health 400: Joey Logano dominates the day in Atlanta

After winning the pole and leading 140 laps, reigning champion Joey Logano wins his first race of 2023. 

Logano started up front with Penske teammate Austin Cindric alongside him. Logano got out front and in-line with teammates Cindric and Blaney and lead until lap 10 when Bubba Wallace in the #23 spun into the inside wall.

The race resumed on lap 16 and Logano jumped out front again with support from his Penske allies. Logano held on against Keselowski in the #6 and won the first stage.

Stage One Results:

1. #22
2. #2
3. #6
4. #12
5. #11
6. #20
7. #8
8. #17
9. #99
10.  #19

After stage pit stops, Busch got out front and began to trade the lead with Blaney and Logano, until the #22 took the lead again. 

Green flag pit stops began on lap 130, and the Penske boys pit on lap 132. Once the field had cycled through, Logano maintained the lead after Blaney suffered a speeding penalty.

Coming to the finish of stage 2, Logano got stacked up behind a group of lapped cars and teammate Austin Cindric snuck by on the outside of turn 4 to claim the victory in stage 2.

Stage Two Results

1. #2
2. #22
3. #48
4. #45
5. #24
6. #17
7. #19
8. #11
9. #6
10.  #7

After the pit stops, Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. held the lead until Denny Hamlin took the lead from him on lap 176. 

With 72 to go in the stage, Harvick in the #4 took the lead until the 2nd caution for cause flew as the #4 got loose at the head of the field and spun, collecting the #17, #21 and the #8. Also involved where the #24 and the #9.

Aric Almirola led after the green flag until 52 to go when he blew a tire coming out of turn 4, collecting Larson in the #5 and giving damage to the #99, #31 and #45.

Keselowski and Bowman lined up with 44 to go. Keselowski took the lead while the Penske boys of Logano, Blaney and Cindric made repeated efforts to take the lead on the inside lane, only managing to hold the lead for a lap or so before Keselowski charged back on the outside. 

The laps wound down with the #6 out front.Coming to the white, the #20 of Bell tried to make a move to the inside and settled in 2nd, behind Keselowski. Logano led the inside lane with a push from LaJoie in the #7. In turn 2, Logano moved to the outside of Keselowski and held the lead down the backstretch with a massive push from Bell. Logano cleared Keselowski in turn 3 and scored his first victory of the year. 

Keselowski finished 2nd, Bell in 3rd and Corey LaJoie earned his career best finish in 4th. Tyler Reddick, who was feeling ill this morning, rounded out the top 5 for his second top 5 in just as many weeks. Ty Gibbs also earns his best cup series finish with an 8th place run.

Featured Image Credits: NASCAR on Twitter