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race review

• Joey Logano started fifth and finished ninth in Sunday afternoon’s inaugural race on the Daytona International Speedway road course driving the No. 22 PPG Ford Mustang. Logano battled a lack of forward drive through the early portion of the event as the team made multiple air pressure and trackbar adjustments to try and improve the car’s performance. Logano raced inside the top 10 for most of the afternoon, despite the handling issues, and he ultimately secured a ninth-place finish.
• After starting fifth Sunday, Logano ran inside the top five for the entire first stage and he finished second as several cars elected to pit just prior to the stage break. Through the opening run, Logano reported that the PPG Ford Mustang was rotating through the corners well, but it needed additional forward drive on corner exit to contend with the race leaders. Logano remained on the track at the stage break and he led the field to the green flag to start the second stage.
• After his first pit stop at lap 21, Logano patiently drove toward the back of the pack as he preserved the No. 22 PPG Ford Mustang for the later stages of the race. As the race leaders began to cycle into the pits, Logano advanced back into the top 20. Under the caution flag at the conclusion of Stage 2, Logano reported that he didn’t feel much of a change in the forward drive of the car. The PPG Ford remained on the track at the conclusion of the stage.
• With 30 laps remaining in the race, a lightning strike near the speedway halted track activity with Logano scored in the seventh position. As the race resumed, Logano settled back into the top 10 as the team planned its approach for the final pit stop of the race.
• Logano pitted at lap 45 for an additional trackbar and air pressure adjustment, which provided the forward drive the team needed in the PPG Ford Mustang. Logano began to clock his fastest laps of the race while he worked his way back into the top 10.
• During a late caution, Logano brought the PPG Mustang to pit road for four tires and an air pressure adjustment for the short sprint to the finish. Logano took the green flag restart in the 17th position and he rallied in the closing laps to secure his 12th top-10 finish of the season.

 

quote

“We are starting to get some consistency. We know what we need to work on for the Roval with our PPG Mustang and we will go to work. The 9 (Chase Elliott) obviously has been really good at these road courses, especially with this tire. We have to find some rear drive. That is where he was beating everybody. We will go to work and try to find it.”

 


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