NASCAR Playoffs at Kansas results: Joey Logano holds off Kevin Harvick, clinches first spot in Championship 4

Logano punches his ticket to Phoenix

Joey Logano held off Kevin Harvick after a fierce battle to win at Kansas and clinch his spot in the Championship 4. Logano and Harvick raced tightly for the lead for nearly 40 laps without much separation after the No. 22 beat the No. 4 off pit road during the contest's final caution. 

Logano now has three race wins on the season and it locked into the title race at Phoenix as he chases his second career NASCAR Cup Series title. Prior to Sunday's event at Kansas, Logano's last win came at Phoenix in the last race before the sport's shutdown due to COVID-19. The win is Logano's third at Kansas. 

"I don't have fun driving a racecar. I have fun winning," Logano said after the battle with Harvick. "That's what I enjoy doing. That's what this is at this point. If I want to have full, I'll go to a go-kart track and have fun."

Logano also mentioned that winning the opening race of the playoffs gives him an advantage in the championship race because it gives him more time to prepare. He would know, having won the Round of 8 opener in 2018 before going on to win his first title. 

"Everything has been pushed into the pile already," second-place finisher Kevin Harvick said with regards to his preparation for Phoenix. As for the race itself, Harvick said that Logano did a great job putting his car where he needed to and they just never had an opportunity to capitalize on any mistakes.

Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski are the three drivers currently above the cutline. Hamlin won Stage 2 but got into the wall while racing for position in the Final Stage and was unable to make his way back to the front. 

Chase Elliott is the first driver below the transfer line after a sixth-place finish. Elliott won Stage 1 after starting from the pole and dealt with radio issues throughout the race. He could not hear his team at times, but NASCAR allowed him to continue to race. 

"I didn't think it was unsafe," said Elliott, who never thought about the possibility of being black flagged for radio issues. "Luckily I could hear them under caution, I just couldn't hear them once we went green. We made those green flag stops there earlier in the race and luckily that was it. It could have been worse."

Kurt Busch was the biggest loser in this one, suffering an engine failure in the Final Stage. Busch entered the Round of 8 likely needing a win to advance, but the day-ending blown engine put him in a must-win situation over the next couple weeks. 

"We knew we were going to have to win either here or Texas, Martinsville we've got a shot at it too." Busch said to NBC after getting out of the car. "The odds are stacked against us but hey we're in the top eight for a reason and I've got a great crew chief Matt McCall. We'll bounce back."

Joining Busch and Elliott below the transfer line are Alex Bowman and Martin Truex Jr. Bowman finished the race third while Truex came in ninth.

"I think those couple laps go a little bit differently and we could very well be going to Phoenix to race for a championship," Bowman said. "I feel like we're right there. We're where we need to be and everybody is doing a really good job."

The Round of 8 continues next week at Texas before wrapping up at Martinsville. The Championship 4 race at Phoenix is scheduled for November 8th. 

[Oct 18, 2020 at 6:00 pm ET · Matthew Mayer]

Four times has the winner of the 7th NASCAR Playoffs race gone on to win the championship. The last driver to do so was none other than Joey Logano in 2018, when he won at Martinsville.

[Oct 18, 2020 at 5:59 pm ET · Matthew Mayer]

Joey Logano's win at Kansas was his third win there. He is now the all-time leader in playoff wins at the track. Entered the day in a 5-way tie for first with Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart.

[Oct 18, 2020 at 5:48 pm ET · Matthew Mayer]

"Joey is a good blocker," says Kevin Harvick after finishing second.

[Oct 18, 2020 at 5:32 pm ET · Matthew Mayer]

Some amazing playoff racing going on with 20 laps to go at Kansas as Kevin Harvick stalks leader Joey Logano.

[Oct 18, 2020 at 5:29 pm ET · Matthew Mayer]

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