Joey Logano pulled off a historic double at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Drivers race during the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Team Penske driver won the first NASCAR Clash race ever held inside the iconic stadium and also claimed the inaugural victory for NASCAR‘s new Next Gen Cup Series car.
The 150-lap exhibition race took place on a temporary paved quarter-mile track built over the Coliseum’s football field and capped off a day of racing that included six qualifying heat races.
Twenty-three cars competed in the main event.
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Image)
Logano started in fourth position and had made his way to the front when Kyle Larson wrecked Justin Haley and brought out the yellow flag with 34 laps to go.
Logano lined up alongside the race’s pole-sitter Kyle Busch in second for the restart and held the lead all way to the checkered flag.
“This is special to get the first Next Gen win, the first win out here in the Coliseum, it’s a special one, so we’re going to have some fun and celebrate it,” Logano said.
And it’s not the only thing he’ll be celebrating this week, as he announced that his wife Brittany is scheduled to give birth to their third child together on Monday.
“I’m heading home right after this,” he said. “I told her, if you’re having the baby, I’m just running right off the track from here, so I don’t think it’s happening right now.”
Logano had previously won the Clash in 2017 when it was held in Daytona.
(Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NASCAR pulled out all the stops to turn the Clash into a unique event, which included a pre-race concert by Trackhouse Racing co-owner Pitbull and a halftime performance after lap 75 by L.A. native Ice Cube.
The series spent well over $1 million to build the track, which will be demolished starting this week, with the materials recycled for another building project.
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NASCAR hasn’t confirmed whether it will return to the venue next year, but has options to do so in 2023 and 2024. The Cup Series now moves to Daytona International Speedway for the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 20.
