It looks like Joey Logano won the war after all.
A gutsy move with 13 laps to go sent the Team Penske driver into the lead at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, and he wouldn’t relinquish it as he claimed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship with a first-place finish in the Ford EcoBoost 400. It’s the first Cup championship for the 28-year-old Logano, who came up just short in his bid for a title in 2016.
Here’s the move that Logano used to pass Martin Truex Jr:
Truex ultimately finished in second place, trailing Logano by 1.725 seconds. The loss denies Truex of back-to-back titles, which would have made him the first consecutive champion since Jimmie Johnson’s run of five straight from 2006-2010. Kevin Harvick (3.735 seconds behind Logano) claimed third place, while Kyle Busch (5.566) took fourth.
All four drivers led at varying points in the race, but Logano certainly carried the load, pacing all drivers with 80 laps led in the 267-lap race.
Here’s the moment Logano — who makes his third trip to Victory Lane this season, the least of the four contenders — crossed the finish line to secure the win:
Of course, Logano and Truex have a little bit of history. Logano secured his spot in the Championship 4 by winning at Martinsville in October, but did so by bumping Truex on the final turn, which prompted the Furniture Row Racing driver to say Logano “wouldn’t win the damn war.”
Here are some other moments from Logano’s post-race celebration:
What a way for the Middletown, Conn., native to cap off a championship season.
