The NASCAR Sprint Cup series held the second and final road course race of 2015. Joey Logano got to the front on the last lap to win the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.
Watkins Glen International has seven turns, but allows for high speeds with long straightaways. That required drivers and teams to not only get the handling right, but also figure out the fuel mileage to have a shot to win.
AJ Allmendinger started the race from the pole as he was trying to defend his win in this race from 2014. AJ had also won the pole position earlier in the year for NASCAR’s other road course race at Sonoma. However, he would not be the car to claim the win in either race this season.
The 90 laps race Sunday (8/9) afternoon had its share of incidents with five caution periods covering 16 laps including one 9:03 red flag period.
After the early stages of the race when it was looking unlikely that AJ would be able to capture the win, Brad Keselowski made his way to the front. He would remain in the lead of the race for a total of 27 laps before it was all over.
However, it was Kevin Harvick that made his way to the lead in the final segment of the race and looked like he was going to claim the victory. He would end the race with the most laps led at 29.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup cars kept racing around the 2.45 mile track while the crew chiefs were busy calculating if they would have enough fuel to make it to the end. There were a handful of different scenarios since within the top 10 there were cars that had made a pit stop at different laps of the race to make it to the checkered flag.
Kevin Harvick was told to save fuel as much as he could because it was going to be close. Close it was. With just two turns left Kevin ran out of fuel and Joey Logano was able to race past him to claim the win. The win was Joey’s second of the year and 10th of his Sprint Cup career.
Kyle Busch also got past Kevin to claim second place with Kevin coasting across the finish line to claim third place. Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch finished in third and fourth place respectively. See the complete race results for the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen here.
The second win of the year for Joey Logano moves him up on the Chase Grid to the fourth seed. Kyle Busch’s second place finish moved him into the top 30 in the point standings and combined with his four wins puts him in the second seed position on the Chase Grid. However, Kyle is only six points ahead of 31st place. So, if he slips out of the top 30 by the end of NASCAR’s regular season he will be removed from the Chase Grid. See the Chase Grid as it looks following the race at Watkins Glen here.
There are just four races remaining in the regular season before NASCAR sets the Chase Grid for this year’s championship. The Sprint Cup series heads to Michigan this week for the Pure Michigan 400 Sunday, August 16th.
By: Buck Stevens
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kroger/Bush’s Beans Chevrolet, leads the field through the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, leads Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet, and Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 Cheez-It Ford, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kroger/Bush’s Beans Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: David Ragan, driver of the #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Online Version Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite/Luke Bryan Ford, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M Crispy Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, leads the field during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Robert Laberge/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 09: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
