Joey Logano wins NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

HAMPTON, Ga. — Joey Logano slipped past leader Brad Keselowski on the final lap and won Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Although Chevrolet drivers won the season’s first four races, Fords and Toyotas were in the mix for the win in the closing laps Sunday.

Keselowski, seeking to end a 65-race winless streak, held the lead at the white flag, but Logano, helped by a push from Christopher Bell, ran past Keselowski on the outside and took the lead for good. Following in the top five were Bell, Corey LaJoie (his best career finish) and Tyler Reddick.

Early in his racing career, Logano ran Legends cars on the quarter-mile track along the AMS frontstretch.

“(This is) so special to win Atlanta for me,” Logano said. “So many memories of me and my dad racing right here on the quarter mile. This is the full circle for us. So many memories gritting over there with the Legends car, racing, having a big time. Dreaming of going straight at the quarter-mile and going on to the big track. That was always the dream to do it. To finally win here means so much to me here personally, but the team.

“This thing was an animal. Very, very fast. Able to lead a ton of laps, race really hard there at the end, get a good push from the 20 (Bell) to clear myself. Enough of a push to get in.”

The win was the 32nd of Logano’s career but his first at AMS.

Leader Aric Almirola, running on older tires, lost control with 52 laps remaining when a tire exploded. He was hit by second-place Kyle Larson.  Both cars suffered major damage, and Almirola and Larson left the race.

With 71 laps remaining, a multi-car crash began when leader Kevin Harvick lost control as Ross Chastain approached his rear bumper. As Harvick spun out of control,