A washed-out qualifying session, a multi-car red flag and a rain-shortened finish gave a 19-year-old his first Cup win and a new youngest-winner record.
Logano's first Cup victory came in the 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Loudon, where rain forced an early finish at lap 273. Starting 24th, the 19-year-old took the flag ahead of Jeff Gordon, a result that made him the series' youngest winner.
Joey Logano won the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on 28 June 2009, the first Cup win of his career. Rain cut the race short at 273 of 301 scheduled laps, and the 19-year-old driver became the youngest winner in the series' history.
Why did the Lenox 301 matter?
The race was the 17th of 36 scheduled Sprint Cup events in 2009, and it was the third race that season to be stopped by bad weather. Logano's victory came from 24th on the grid, which made it one of the most unexpected results of the year.
The result also put a 19-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the centre of attention on a damp New England afternoon, when the field had to wait for conditions to improve. It was the third race of 2009 to be stopped by weather, and it added to the debate about consistent start times that followed.
A rain-shortened finish handed Joey Logano his first Cup win and the youngest-winner mark in series history.
What was New Hampshire Motor Speedway like?
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a four-turn oval of 1.058 mi (1.703 km). Its turns are banked between two and seven degrees, while the front stretch and back stretch are both banked at only one degree. The layout made the banking changes subtle for most of the lap.
Ahead of the event, the organisers expanded the infield to create more than 400 percent additional usable land. Safety work also raised the catch fences beside the grandstands above 21 ft (6.4 m), with arch posts and high-strength cable supporting the lower and upper sections.
What were the championship standings before the race?
Stewart topped the Drivers' Championship on 2,364 points going into New Hampshire, ahead of Jeff Gordon on 2,280 and Jimmie Johnson on 2,207. Kurt Busch was fourth with 2,084, and Carl Edwards fifth on 2,051. The top five were all within reach of one another, a sign of how tight the title race had become.
Chevrolet led the manufacturers' standings with 120 points, 35 ahead of Toyota, while Ford had 77 points and was seven clear of Dodge. Kurt Busch was the defending race winner.
What happened in practice?
Three practice sessions were held before the race, lasting 90, 50 and 60 minutes. Kurt Busch was fastest in the first session with a lap of 29.149 seconds, ahead of David Reutimann and Juan Pablo Montoya. Teams used the sessions to set their cars for the Sunday race, which was the main objective.
Stewart crashed into the turn-two wall during the opening session, damaging the rear of his car badly. He used a spare car for the remainder of the session, and his team and they prepared to move the engine from the primary car before the race.
Later in practice, Sorenson was fastest in the second session, and Martin Truex Jr. led the third. Martin clipped a barrier between turns three and four, but he avoided major damage.
Why was qualifying cancelled?
A total of 46 drivers entered the Friday qualifying session, but heavy rain forced officials to cancel it. Owners' points were used to set the grid instead, which gave Stewart his second pole at New Hampshire. Officials had no option but to rely on owners' standings, a system that favoured the teams higher up the table.
Gordon lined up alongside him on the front row, while Johnson, Kurt Busch, Edwards and Ryan Newman filled the next positions. Dexter Bean, Ted Christopher and Mike Wallace did not make the field, and Regan Smith was placed 43rd after Wallace's team withdrew.
Who was Ted Christopher?
Christopher had last started a Cup race in the 2006 season and was trying to make the field for Kirk Shelmerdine Racing. It would have been his first time in the Car of Tomorrow, although he had raced for the team at New Hampshire before.
He had been asked by team owner Kirk Shelmerdine to try the seat before the event, and he said he was looking forward to the race. Christopher had made the field at New Hampshire on earlier attempts, but this time he did not make it. The attempt showed how hard it was for smaller teams to find a place in the field.
What did the weather and ceremonies look like?
Live television coverage began at 12:30 p.m. EDT on TNT. The air temperature was 68 F (20 C) and the track was 89 F (32 C), with a chance of rain showers forecast. The ceremonies were followed by the start of the race, which began at 2:16 p.m. local time.
Billy Mauldin, president and chief executive of Motor Racing Outreach, gave the invocation, and Miss New Hampshire, Lindsey Graham, sang the American anthem. Denise Doucette performed the Canadian anthem, and sweepstakes winner Pete Dingeman gave the order for the engines to be fired.
How did the opening laps unfold?
Gordon went around Stewart on the outside as they left turn two, and Stewart slipped further back on the lap. Kurt Busch challenged Gordon for the lead early on and took it on lap seven, before Gordon retook the top spot on lap 20.
NASCAR had announced a competition caution for lap 35 because of the forecast rain, and it was later moved to lap 45. Patrick Carpentier hit the outside wall in turn four on lap 16 after a broken brake line, which brought out the first caution of the race.
Harvick hit McMurray from behind, sending McMurray into the turn-four barrier, and that became the second caution. Kurt Busch then regained the lead, and Johnson went on to take command of the race from lap 50.
What happened in the middle stage?
Johnson led from lap 50 and kept the lead for 73 laps before his teammate Gordon retook it after a caution. Johnson finished the race with 93 laps led, more than any other driver. The race remained caution-heavy, with pit stops and restarts changing the order regularly.
Johnson stalled at the pit road entry during a caution on lap 151 and dropped to third, before Gordon took the lead at the restart. Stewart later passed Gordon at turn two on lap 196, and Labonte led laps 238 to 247 before Newman took the lead. Logano moved to the front when Newman pitted for fuel near the end, and the rain began to change the race.
How did the rain stop the race?
A multi-car accident on lap 175 brought a 16-minute red flag, after Truex was hit from behind by Kyle Busch and several cars were collected. When racing resumed, Gordon led Kurt Busch and Stewart, but another tyre failure followed. Officials watched the track closely before making a decision.
On the 183rd lap, Logano's left rear tyre burst after contact with Newman and Reutimann, and the tyre carcass tore through the car's sheet metal. The eleventh caution came out for rain on lap 266, and the race was stopped on lap 273 of the scheduled 301 laps.
The cars sat on pit road while jet dryers worked the surface. Officials called the race at 5:42 p.m. local time, and Logano was declared the winner.
Who finished where?
Logano won ahead of Gordon in second and Kurt Busch in third. Reutimann took fourth and Stewart fifth, with Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Hornish, Johnson and Kahne completing the top ten. Those results put Gordon and Kurt Busch on the podium behind the new winner.
| Finish | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Joey Logano | First Cup win; youngest winner in series history |
| Second | Jeff Gordon | Led at several points |
| Third | Kurt Busch | Defending race winner |
| Fourth | David Reutimann | Top five finish |
| Fifth | Tony Stewart | Top five finish |
| Sixth | Brad Keselowski | Top ten finish |
| Seventh | Kyle Busch | Top ten finish |
| Eighth | Sam Hornish Jr. | Top ten finish |
| Ninth | Jimmie Johnson | Led 93 laps |
| Tenth | Kasey Kahne | Top ten finish |
The race had 21 lead changes among 14 drivers and 11 cautions. Logano led only once, for ten laps, which made his win an exercise in patience and timing.
Why did Logano's win stand out?
Logano's age was the headline. He beat the mark Kyle Busch had set in 2005 at Auto Club Speedway, when Busch was 20 years, four months and two days old. The rain-shortened finish added an unusual twist to the milestone.
Logano said becoming the first rookie to win in 71 races was a big moment for him. He said that a first win was special wherever it came, even if the rain made it an unusual one. Logano's comments underlined how much a first victory means to a young driver.
What did the drivers say about the race?
Kyle Busch apologised for triggering the pile-up that halted the race on lap 175. Vickers said Kyle Busch should have been disqualified after reviewing video footage, while Truex said Kyle had lost his temper when something went wrong. The comments reflected the frustration of several drivers over the late incidents.
Jeff Burton blamed the double-file restarts for the crash. He said fans did not want more wrecks, but that they did want racing with more aggression, and the restarts were a consequence of that choice.
Kurt Busch spoke about the need for consistent race start times, which he said would help fans know when to watch. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the organisation supported the idea and planned to raise it with its broadcasters.
How did the race change the standings?
Stewart still led the Drivers' Championship with 2,524 points, but Gordon cut his advantage to 69 points. Johnson held third on 2,355, with Kurt Busch fourth on 2,254 and Edwards fifth on 2,157. The result kept the title race tight, with Stewart still in front.
Chevrolet kept its lead among manufacturers with 126 points, while Toyota was second on 94 and Ford on 80, ahead of Dodge on 74. The race drew 5.555 million television viewers.
