Logano On Gateway Miss: 'We Just Didn't Make It Happen'

Joey Logano in action at World Wide Technology Raceway. (Christian Wilson/SWN photo)

By Justin Glenn, SWN Staff Writer

MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 14, 2026) – Joey Logano called his shot prior to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, circling World Wide Technology Raceway as a favorable Chase date to contend. 

He delivered on that call, but fell just short of maximizing his points with a win in the Enjoy Illinois 300.

Logano instead finished third to capture his second straight top 10, creating a strong sequel to his ninth-place effort in the Chase opener at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In all five Cup Series trips to Gateway since 2022, he hasn’t finished worse than fifth at the mile-and-a-quarter oval.

Logano dominated Sunday. There weren’t many answers his competition had to it. Curveballs of strategy, 18 cautions, brake failures and tedious passing elements gave Logano a reason to sink, but he didn’t. 

He qualified on pole and was the man to beat, and that became clear once championship foes – including his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney and the Joe Gibbs Racing duo of Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe – were caught up in either wrecks or with brake failures.

Logano netted 19 stage points on the back of winning stage one. He then led 96 laps, making it the third race he’s led 95 laps or more in since his win at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway on July 19. 

No matter which team made pit calls of two tires to cycle to the front, the 18-year veteran was able to drive himself to the lead. However, with a track record of cautions came countless opportunities for restarts.

This bunched the field and worked against Logano’s dominance by forcing him to fend off competitors. 

He was successful on most, but his restart magic ran out once Kyle Larson got around him on lap 228. Larson took advantage of strong firm pushes from teammate Alex Bowman to break Logano’s grip, then held control through double overtime to win the day.  

It was a golden opportunity at a trophy that Logano rued missing out on.

“The restart where Larson took the lead [is where the race changed]. That's where I lost it obviously,” said Logano. “[Larson] just rolled the bottom really good and cleared me, which is really surprising.

“His [Larson’s] first three laps of every run was pretty spectacular,” added the three-time Cup Series champion. “You had a bunch of three-lap runs there at the end. Once he got there, the No. 48 [Alex Bowman] got and the No. 24 [William Byron] got there. [I] had no homies with me. No more friends. On my own.”

With 13 laps to go in regulation, Logano and Larson were even on the front row. The two headed into turn one, with Larson taking the lead and becoming the control car. A quick caution followed, leading to a restart with eight laps left. 

Larson had a choice of which lane he wanted, and because the top was preferred throughout the afternoon, he elected that and had Bowman behind him. Bowman delivered a bump to Larson’s back bumper as the field would exit the restart zone.

Larson then took off, a full car length advantage over Logano allowing him to clear down and use the curbed corners to gap the No. 22. 

Another caution came quickly, sending the race into overtime. Again, Larson picked top, and had Bowman give a bump in the restart zone to create the separation needed to prevent Logano from side drafting his left-rear quarter panel. It actually allowed Bowman to move into second on the outside lane past the No. 22 before one final incident slowed the proceedings.

A second overtime restart occurred, and this time with Bowman in second ahead of Logano, Larson cleared the No. 48 easily and sailed off. The power of teamwork played to the advantage of Hendrick, as each push on the No. 5 served as a rocket launcher to clear him over the field.

“All I could hope was that Bowman really wanted to win,” Logano said, referencing Bowman not following a ‘team orders’ approach. “That was my only chance that last restart. Larson got a good restart and cleared. Nothing I could do to manipulate anything. Really along for the ride the last couple restarts, because we lost it before that.”

Logano as the lone Ford was outnumbered. Seven out of the top eight finishing positions were Chevrolets. His arguable help in Blaney and Josh Berry were both wrecked.

Austin Cindric finished 10th, but didn’t have the race-winning pace to run up front. And old Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, who was strong in stage two, faded to 12th. 

Those drivers could’ve served as pushers on restarts, or at least broke up the Chevy brigade. But it didn’t happen. 

“It's a good run. Got a lot of stage points, finished in the top five again, which is obviously what we need to do. Thinking about what the 25 [winning points bonus] would feel like, it does stink.”

Logano is now tied for sixth in points with Ty Gibbs. He earned 54 points, made up 21 on series leader Denny Hamlin, and will look to keep climbing at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Bristol is crucial, as it’s the final short track for roughly a month until Oct. 18 at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway. 

He finished fifth in the night race a year ago. Logano was seventh on April 12 earlier this season. He’ll look for his first win on the concrete high banks since 2015. 

But even if Logano wins at Bristol, or goes on to win a fourth Cup Series title Gateway will remain as one race that got away from him painfully.

“When you have an opportunity like [Gateway], got a car like that, you need to win,” said Logano. “We just didn't make it happen.”

Coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race from Bristol is slated for Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.