Joey Logano wins, Bubba Wallace explodes

With Joey Logano, we know this evening the name of the first driver qualified for the Phoenix final. We started from scratch at the start of this third round of the Playoffs with 8 candidates for the title and a leader, Chase Elliott, benefiting from a little comfort cushion of 46 bonus points thanks to his fantastic regular season. No less was needed for the 2020 Champion who remains in the title race despite a poor 21st place at the finish.

A tough race for Chase Elliott © Sean Gardner/Getty Images

If his decision was no longer in doubt, Kurt Busch wanted to be formal by announcing his retirement at his home in Las Vegas. With 34 victories and a championship title in 2004, he is a talented and colorful driver who is leaving the discipline but we should see him again in certain rounds, and who knows maybe at Bathurst 1000 or at the 24H of Le Mans, deux épreuves pour lesquelles il n’a jamais caché son intérêt. L’ainé de la fratrie Busch veut continuer à s’amuser en restant dans le giron Toyota et 23XI Racing. As we assumed, Reddick, released from his contract at Richard Childress Racing, will take Busch's place 1 year in advance at 23XI Racing.

Goodbye and thank you Kurt Busch © Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The first segment ended with a victory for Bubba Wallace under a yellow flag following a spin by Kyle Busch which allowed Chase Briscoe, who had been in difficulty since the start of the race, to return to the leader's lap.

And Wallace pulls the pin…

At the start of the second segment, we witnessed one of those scenes that we would prefer never to see at the highest level of motorsport with a real meltdown from Bubba Wallace. Frustrated by an attack, admittedly a bit virile, from Kyle Larson, Wallace threw his Toyota at more than 280 km/h at the reigning Champion's Chevrolet. No contact having preceded this attack, Larson quite honestly did not have much to reproach himself for.

Contact between @BubbaWallace and @KyleLarsonRacin! @CBellRacing is involved! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/tnDoLks2dz

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 16, 2022

More serious, the latter in distress unintentionally collided with Christopher Bell in the running for the title, ruining his race and his chances of qualifying. Aggravating factor, Wallace and Bell both defend the colors of Toyota. As a continuation of this ugly gesture, Wallace physically attacked Larson who had the intelligence not to respond. There will be sanction, that is a certainty and it should be exemplary.

Frustrations in the infield at @LVMotorSpeedway! pic.twitter.com/74yMyCOc1d

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 16, 2022

Ross Chastain then took the lead, well protected by his teammate Daniel Suarez, but halfway through the race Ryan Blaney came back like a bullet to take control of the race. The leadership was exchanged between the two men depending on the incidents, but with 60 laps to go, Chastain firmly took control and a Kyle Busch of the great days came to tease the Top 5.

Ross Chastain was the big entertainer of this round in Nevada, © Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Finally in a good rhythm after his victory in the second segment, Ryan Blaney lost control of his Mustang with 40 laps to go and bounced into the exterior and interior walls. The entire peloton went into the pits for a refueling from which Kyle Busch emerged with a loose wheel. 5 laps later, Suarez went off-road causing another neutralization and the challenge of a final tire change for many drivers including Almirola, Logano and Elliott.

Joey Logano in strong

With 10 laps to go, a trio of qualified drivers took the lead with Chastain ahead of Logano and Briscoe, with a ticket to the next lap in their sights for all three men. Joey Logano finally took the best to give Team Penske and Ford a presence in the final quartet!

Joey Logano is in the final © Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Joey Logano can enjoy a victory and a qualification for the final which will allow him to approach the Miami Homestead round next Sunday and the perilous and decisive Martinsville stage in 15 days with confidence. A real luxury on this short track where victory is often a lottery.

Rankings for the South Point 400 in Las Vegas – NASCAR :