Joey Logano steals Bass Pro Shops Night Race, ahead of wild pit road brawl

Team Penske driver Joey Logano executed a dramatic late-race pass on a restart with under 10 laps remaining to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night, capping a wild playoff performance and claiming his spot at the top of Team Penske’s history books.

Logano rocketed past Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson on the final restart to capture the checkered flag at The Last Great Colosseum. The victory marked Logano’s 38th NASCAR Cup Series win for Team Penske, surpassing Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for the all-time wins record in team history.

“It feels incredible to pull off a move like that when everything is on the line,” Logano said after celebrating in victory lane under a chorus of mixed cheers and boos. “It reminded me of Richmond years ago, executing that precise sweep on the restart. After coming up just short last week, to come back and finish the job here comes full circle for our entire team.”

Reflecting on the Penske milestone, Logano added: “Passing Rusty on the wins list is something I never could have dreamed of when I first walked into Roger Penske’s office. Roger has given me every opportunity in the world. I told my son Hudson afterward, ‘Hey, your dad just beat Rusty Wallace!’ and he just asked if we were getting ice cream. It keeps you humble, but driving for Roger and this organization is an absolute honor.”

While Logano celebrated, tempers flared on pit road immediately following the race. Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar engaged in a heated altercation that quickly turned physical. Hocevar landed a right hook to Blaney’s jaw before Blaney responded in kind, prompting crew members and officials to intervene and separate both drivers.

The clash was sparked by contact with 42 laps remaining, when Hocevar tagged Blaney’s No. 12 Ford into a spin, ending Blaney’s night prematurely.

“I saw Ryan going around right in front of me,” Logano said of the crash. “It was pure reaction time — I just pitched it low and barely dodged his car. You hate to see a teammate get taken out like that, especially when Ryan had such a strong car all night.”

The 500-lap race opened with Kyle Larson leading the field at the drop of the green flag, controlling the pace through the early stages before a scheduled competition caution on Lap 41 reshuffled strategy.

In Stage 1, Logano crew chief Paul Wolfe made a bold strategic call, keeping Logano and Penske teammate Austin Cindric out on track during a caution cycle. The gamble paid off as Logano held off Larson to score crucial stage points and the Stage 1 victory.

“We knew staying out was a risk with tire wear at Bristol, but Paul made the right call,” Logano noted. Wolfe added: “We had pretty good speed in our car early, and scoring those stage points was vital for our playoff posture.”

Stage 2 belonged to Blaney, who seized the lead on Lap 176 and dominated the segment, holding off Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry to claim the stage win. Behind them, Logano demonstrated the true strength of his No. 22 Ford, carving his way through traffic from 16th position up to finish third in the stage.

“What really showed the strength of our car was Stage 2 when we drove back through the field from 16th to third,” Wolfe explained. “That gave us total confidence for the final stretch.”

Ty Gibbs stormed into the lead on Lap 326 to ignite a chaotic final stage. Cautions mounted in the closing hundred laps — including incidents involving William Byron, a three-wide move by Gibbs that spun Alex Bowman with 69 laps left, and a crash involving Riley Herbst.

A spin by Chase Elliott with 22 laps remaining set up the dramatic final restart, where Logano pounced on Gibbs, Hocevar, and Larson to secure the win.

The victory provides major momentum for Logano and Team Penske as they navigate the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, overcoming mid-season inconsistency at the ideal moment.

“We struggled through parts of the summer, but this team thrives when the pressure is highest,” Wolfe said. “Winning at Bristol in the Chase sets a statement for the championship run.”

The NASCAR Cup Series travels to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, Sept. 27th.

Bass Pro Shops Night Race

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Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Saturday, September 19, 2026

1. (2)  Joey Logano (C), Ford, 500.
2. (1)  Kyle Larson (C), Chevrolet, 500.
3. (5)  Carson Hocevar (C), Chevrolet, 500.
4. (12)  Christopher Bell (C), Toyota, 500.
5. (13)  Ty Gibbs (C), Toyota, 500.
6. (32)  Josh Berry, Ford, 500.
7. (10)  Bubba Wallace (C), Toyota, 500.
8. (3)  Denny Hamlin (C), Toyota, 500.
9. (4)  William Byron (C), Chevrolet, 500.
10. (16)  Ryan Preece (C), Ford, 500.
11. (8)  Austin Cindric (C), Ford, 500.
12. (7)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 500.
13. (23)  Chris Buescher (C), Ford, 499.
14. (28)  Daniel Suarez (C), Chevrolet, 498.
15. (11)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 498.
16. (36)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 498.
17. (9)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 498.
18. (20)  Tyler Reddick (C), Toyota, 497.
19. (24)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 497.
20. (22)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 497.
21. (21)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 497.
22. (18)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 497.
23. (27)  Chase Elliott (C), Chevrolet, 497.
24. (15)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 496.
25. (19)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 495.
26. (17)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 495.
27. (26)  Chase Briscoe (C), Toyota, Suspension, 494.
28. (35)  Zane Smith, Ford, 494.
29. (25)  Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 494.
30. (31)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 490.
31. (30)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 489.
32. (14)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 483.
33. (29)  Ryan Blaney (C), Ford, Accident, 457.
34. (34)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, Suspension, 432.
35. (6)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 428.
36. (33)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 402.
37. (37)  Josh Bilicki(i), Ford, Suspension, 338.

Race Details

Average Speed of Race Winner:  87.697 mph.
Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 2 Mins, 20 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.248 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  10 for 78 laps.
Lead Changes:  13 among 6 drivers.