Joey Logano has held his nerve to win Phoenix and join the Championship 4 for a chance to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup title.
Logano will join Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and defending champion Kyle Busch as the only drivers in with a shot of taking the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Logano took the race after two ‘Green-White-Chequered’ overtime finishes.
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The win was his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season and 17th of his career.
The Penske Ford driver had been battling with Kyle Busch for fourth place when the caution came out with three laps to run when Michael McDowell slammed the wall when he had a tyre let go.
Matt Kenseth was the race leader at the time and appeared set to make the four drivers in the championship fight. However, upon the first overtime re-start he was sent into the fence after contact with Alex Bowman.
Bowman, who was substituting for Dale Earnhardt Jr., had starred in the race leading a total of 194 of the contested 324 laps. He had the freshest tyres, but spun the wheels on the re-start and had Kyle Busch pressing from behind when he made contact with Kenseth.
That left Logano in the lead for the final re-start which he held through to the finish from Kyle Busch.
“I’ve never felt this good about a win before,” said Logano.
“There was so much on the line and everyone brings their A-game when it comes to winning championships and this team did it.
“I had a good restart there at the end and holding off Kyle to try to get this thing into Miami. We’re racing for a championship now. We did exactly what we had to do. We’ve got to go to Homestead and do the same thing.
“I feel like I just won the Daytona 500 again.”
The drivers eliminated from the Chase after Phoenix were Denny Hamlin, Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch.
Next week’s season finale will feature two Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas in Edwards and Kyle Busch, one Hendrick Chevrolet for Jimmie Johnson and the Team Penske Ford of Logano.
The equation is simple next week, whichever of the four drivers finishes the highest will take the title.
VIDEO: Race recap
RESULTS: Can-Am 500 – Phoenix International Raceway