WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 08: Joey Logano, driver of the #12 Snap-on Ford, leads Brad Keselowski, driver of the #22 Hertz Ford, and others during the NASCAR XFINITY Series Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International on August 8, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)
There was little doubt the Team Penske cars of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski were the toughest cars during Saturday's Zippo 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Watkins Glen International. The two Fords led the field to the green flag to start the day and battled at the front of the field throughout the race, but in the end both drivers had to overcome a setback to race for the victory.
It all came down to a restart with just four laps to go. With Logano leading and Keselowski in second to his outside, the green flag waved and the field raced into the sharp right-hand Turn 1. Keselowski stumbled on the restart as Logano pulled away with the lead.
Holding on for the final four laps, Logano earned his fourth XFINITY Series victory of the 2015 season and his first at Watkins Glen.
Keselowski crossed the line second behind his teammate, giving team owner Roger Penske a 1-2 finish. XFINITY Series points leader Chris Buescher was third, followed by road ringer Boris Said and Ty Dillon. Brian Scott, Chase Elliott, Elliott Sadler, Brendan Gaughan and Paul Menard rounded out the top 10.
While the Penske cars were dominant throughout the afternoon, it was not an easy trek to a 1-2 finish.
As the first green flag stops of the day began, Logano brought his No. 12 Ford to pit road from the lead. After a quick stop, Logano pulled away, but did so with his fuel can still attached. The gas can fell off the car at the exit of pit road, bringing out the second caution and leading to a penalty for the Team Penske driver.
With the caution coming out in the middle of green flag stops, pit strategy was disrupted as crew chiefs that had not brought their teams to pit road had to scramble in order to get their cars in for service before pit road was closed.
The penalty for Logano also sent him to the rear of the field, but with a fast Penske Ford underneath him, the Sprint Cup Series regular wasted no time working through traffic and getting back to the front of the field.
By Lap 50, Logano was able to move to the inside of his teammate on the frontstretch to retake the lead.
While the race was shaping up to be a battle between the Penske teammates, Keselowski was caught speeding on the exit of pit road during his green-flag stop on Lap 53. The penalty dropped Keselowski outside the top 10.
After the final green-flag pit stops, Logano retook the lead and appeared to be in a league of his own. With 25 laps to go, Logano's No. 12 Ford maintained a nearly six-second lead over Paul Menard in second place.
With Logano driving away, the caution flag flew with 21 laps remaining when David Starr's No. 44 Toyota lost a right-front tire. The fifth caution of the day erased Logano's lead, as well as the 22.381-second advantage he had over Keselowski in seventh.
On the restart with 18 laps to go, Logano was able to power out to the lead, but as Buescher and Menard battled for second, Keselowski was able to make a bold three-wide move to the bottom and take second headed into the inner loop.
The battle for the top spot closed up once again when Regan Smith got into Brendan Gaughan battling for 11th, spinning out in the carousel and bringing out the sixth caution of the day with just 16 laps to go.
On the restart with 12 laps to go, Logano was able to get the advantage on his teammate, but behind him Dillon dove into Turn 1 and spun his teammate Menard.
With seven laps to go, another caution flag flew when Gaughan got into Kenny Habul in the final corner, sending Habul's No. 20 Toyota spinning. With nowhere to go, Ryan Reed drove hard into the nose of Habul, bringing out the seventh caution and first red flag of the race.
Saturday's race featured seven cautions for a total of 20 laps, and saw nine lead changes among four different drivers. Keselowski was out front four times for a total of 40 laps, while Logano was out front four times for 39 laps. Buescher led twice and Chase Elliott leading one lap.
Buescher was able to extend his lead in the series standings to 24 points over Elliott and Dillon, who are both 24 marks behind. Finishing 20th, Smith now sits 57 points out of the lead in fourth, while Elliott Salder is fifth, 58 points behind.
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