Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings, Schedule Post-Hollywood Casino 400
Joey Logano is hotter than a match head.
On Sunday, he made it two wins in a row with a victory at the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Logano took the Bank of America 500 checkered flag last Sunday—and he also won this same event in 2014.
Last week's victory qualified him for the Eliminator Round. This victory gave him five for the season, his second win of the Contender Round and a 13-point lead over Denny Hamlin in the Chase standings.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
In other words, it was a big day for Logano. Here's a look at the updated standings after his latest triumph, per NASCAR on Twitter:
Click here to see the full standings on NASCAR.com.
The signature moment of the race happened on the 263rd lap. With Matt Kenseth in the lead and with just four laps remaining, Logano made contact with the No. 20 car and spun him. The contact knocked Kenseth out of the lead and out of realistic contention as the race went into caution.
Here's the sequence from NASCAR on Twitter:
When asked about the contact, Logano had an unapologetic and simple response:
These races are for a championship. Drivers should race to win, and that's what Logano did. It's hard to imagine anyone not understanding that.
Hamlin Staying in It
Aside from Logano, Hamlin is the only driver to finish in the top five in each of the last two races. He finished fourth in the Bank of America 500 and followed that up with a second-place finish on Sunday. While Logano has been dominant, Hamlin has to feel good about his place in the NASCAR playoffs.
He improved his standing from last week, and though he hasn't led a lap in either of the last two races, he's still nipping at Logano's heels in the standings.
At some point, Hamlin will have to grab a lead and win a race if he hopes to chase down Logano and have an opportunity to be crowned Sprint Cup champion.
Looking Ahead
| Campingworld.com 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | Sunday, Oct. 25 | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 | Martinsville Speedway | Sunday, Nov. 1 | 1:15 p.m. ET |
| AAA Texas 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | Sunday, Nov. 8 | 2 p.m. ET |
| Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 | Phoenix International Raceway | Sunday, Nov. 15 | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| Ford EcoBoost 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Sunday, Nov. 22 | Ford EcoBoost 400 |
There's just one race left in the Contender Round, and it's the Campingworld.com 500 at legendary Talladega Superspeedway next week. Can Logano make it three wins in a row?
If he does, it'll be his first-ever win at Talladega in the Sprint Cup Series. He did win twice at the track in Xfinity Series events in 2008 and earlier this year at the Winn-Dixie 300 on May 2.
The day after Logano won at Talladega, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the first Sprint Cup race there on May 3 at the Geico 500. The latter desperately needs a solid performance after a 21st-place finish on Sunday. He's 11th in the Chase standings.
Sweeping the Sprint Cup races at Talladega would be just what the doctor ordered for him.
Keep an eye on Jimmie Johnson as usual. While he has been eliminated from the Chase, he raced well on Sunday. He finished third and is still in position to play spoiler for the contenders who are still alive in the Chase.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
