All-Star Race Report, Charlotte Motor Speedway

May 22, 2010

• 1. Kurt Busch, No. 2 Dodge
• 2. Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 Toyota
• 3. Joey Logano, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota

Logano and The Home Depot Team Finish Third in All-Star Race

Concord, N.C. (May 22, 2010) – Joey Logano and The Home Depot Team finished third in the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night. It was Logano's second start in the non-points event and The Home Depot Team's 12th consecutive. Logano restarted in second place with two laps to go in the 100-lap race, but was unable to get under the leader in the closing laps.

"I had a really good Home Depot Toyota tonight," said Logano. "I felt that I had a car that was capable of winning actually. We fought a loose condition to start the race then we did a good job of getting the car close. In the last 10 laps, when I was running down the 48 and the 2, I was thinking ‘Man, I got a shot at this'. On the final restart I went in there easy to make sure I didn't overdrive the corner and everybody had big momentum on the topside, cleared me. That's it. After that, I was third place. The guys did a great job and we had awesome pit stops. We're so close, it stinks but it's exciting too."

The race consisted of four segments, 50 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps. Rain cancelled qualifying on Friday night, so with rules unique to the All-Star race, the starting order was set by qualifying draw. The Home Depot team was supposed to qualify second, so Logano lined up on the front row with eventual race winner Kurt Busch on the pole.

At the start of the first 50-lap segment Logano told crew chief Greg Zipadelli the car was too loose on exit to complete passes. Logano searched different lines on the track to help the handling until The Home Depot Team could make adjustments. Logano dropped to fifth before he brought the No. 20 Toyota Camry down pit road on lap 25 for a green-flag stop for four tires, a trackbar adjustment and fuel. He told Zipadelli on lap 40 the car was good off the corner now and was sitting fourth at the completion of the first segment.

The team elected to pit for four tires in between segments to leave their options open for the remaining laps. Several cars pitted for fuel or right sides only, putting Logano 11th for the start of segment two. Logano was hit from behind by the No. 99 car and dropped back to 14th, but showed the strength of the No. 20 Toyota when he moved back by him 11 laps later for the 11th position. He drove into the 10th position at the end of the second segment, and elected to remain on the track and not pit to gain track position in the closing 30 laps.

The green flag waved for the third segment, of 20 laps, with the solid orange No. 20 Toyota in the seventh position. There was more side-by-side racing in this segment then there had been in the previous two. However Logano was able to maintain good track position and finish the third stint sixth, setting him up for a four-tire stop and the final 10-laps shootout. There was a mandatory 10 minute break where crews were allowed to work on their cars, but could not change tires. Every team had to make a four-tire pit stop prior to the green flag waving for the fourth and final segment. The team repaired some fender damage before the mandatory pit stop.

The Home Depot crew showed why it is one of the best on pit road when Logano brought the car down pit road for the final time. In the All-Star event, the crew was able to pick up one spot on pit road putting Logano in the fifth position for the start of the final segment. Things got dicey in the final segment. On the restart the leaders spun their tires checking the field up. Logano dove to the inside of the No. 48 car at the same time the No. 1 got into back of the No. 5 car. The No. 48 car blocked Logano forcing his left side tires onto the grass and he slid up the track and into the No. 5 car bringing out the caution. Caution laps don't count in the event, so 10 laps still remained when racing resumed with Logano in fourth. He worked his way up to third when the No. 48 car spun bringing out the caution with two to go. The field didn't complete a lap, and Logano was now second for the final restart. He was unable to make the pass on the leader and finished the All-Star race third.

The All-Star race is a non-points event, so Logano and the team remain in 18th heading into the Coca-Cola 600 next weekend. Coverage of the longest race of the season begins at 5:45 p.m. ET on FOX Television on Sunday, May 30.