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Michigan NASCAR: Penske's Joey Logano claims first win of 2016

Polesitter Joey Logano led 139 of the 200 laps on the way to his first win of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season at Michigan International Speedway

Impressive performances from youngsters Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson put them within touching distance of victory, but Logano's excellent restarts meant he had the advantage at the site of his first win for Penske, back in 2013.

Runner-up Elliott came within 0.889 seconds of becoming the first rookie winner of a Cup race in five years, while Larson's wait for his maiden victory continued as he followed them home in third.

A caution for contact between Danica Patrick, Casey Mears and Brian Scott 50 laps from the end raised concerns over fuel mileage, reminiscent of last weekend's Pocono race, with range expected to be somewhere around 48 laps.

However, two subsequent cautions - one for a scary full-speed tyre blowout for Denny Hamlin with 12 laps to go - negated those worries, and fuel saving was not an issue.

The 40-strong field entered uncharted territory during Sunday's race, with NASCAR's experimental low-downforce package used in a Cup event for the first time.

The package - which limits the effects of the front splitter and rear wing on the cars - was brought in to facilitate easier passing and less turbulent air, and will also feature at the July Kentucky race.

It clearly worked well for Logano, who passed Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr within the first 10 laps after losing the lead at the start.

After three wins early in the season, Kyle Busch's rotten luck continued with a blown engine.

The Joe Gibbs Racing man had finished outside the top 30 in the three races prior to Michigan, and a DNF only compounded his reversal of fortune.

With victory, Logano joins Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Truex and both Busch brothers in the provisional Chase field.

RESULTS - 200 LAPS:

Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 2h58m47.s
2 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 0.889s
3 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 3.069s
4 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3.901s
5 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 4.775s
6 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 5.298s
7 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 6.144s
8 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 6.966s
9 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 7.537s
10 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 7.729s
11 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 8.606s
12 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 8.979s
13 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 9.848s
14 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10.486s
15 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 11.394s
16 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 11.979s
17 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 12.226s
18 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 12.494s
19 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 12.767s
20 Chris Buescher Front Row Motorsports Ford 12.854s
21 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 12.941s
22 David Ragan BK Racing Toyota 14.106s
23 Clint Bowyer HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 14.621s
24 Ty Dillon Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet 14.789s
25 Landon Cassill Front Row Motorsports Ford 14.789s
26 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 15.474s
27 Cole Whitt Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 16.114s
28 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 19.788s
29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 1 Lap
30 Josh Wise The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 3 Laps
31 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Laps
32 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 11 Laps
33 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Accident
34 Matt DiBenedetto BK Racing Toyota Accident
35 Regan Smith Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 21 Laps
36 Brian Scott Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Accident
37 Jeffrey Earnhardt Go FAS Racing Ford Accident
38 A.J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet Accident
39 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Accident
40 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Engine

LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

Pos Driver Points
1 Kevin Harvick 526
2 Kurt Busch 496
3 Brad Keselowski 480
4 Carl Edwards 472
5 Joey Logano 455
6 Chase Elliott 453
7 Jimmie Johnson 441
8 Martin Truex Jr. 433
9 Kyle Busch 417
10 Matt Kenseth 409
11 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 383
12 Austin Dillon 381
13 Denny Hamlin 380
14 Jamie McMurray 374
15 Ryan Newman 369
16 Ryan Blaney 364
17 Kasey Kahne 353
18 Trevor Bayne 345
19 A.J. Allmendinger 337
20 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 337
21 Kyle Larson 326
22 Paul Menard 289
23 Clint Bowyer 270
24 Greg Biffle 267
25 Danica Patrick 265
26 Aric Almirola 264
27 Landon Cassill 237
28 Casey Mears 221
29 David Ragan 208
30 Brian Scott 197
31 Regan Smith 186
32 Chris Buescher 182
33 Michael McDowell 161
34 Matt DiBenedetto 158
35 Tony Stewart 152

PROVISIONALLY INTO CHASE SO FAR

Kyle Busch (3 wins), Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski (2 wins), Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano (1 win)

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