Joey Logano fires up Penske’s Atlanta return with strong run

Joey Logano powered Team Penske’s return to form at Atlanta Motor Speedway on 13 Jul 2026, delivering a top-10 finish that snapped a short slump for the No. 22 Ford.

Logano started 18th and climbed to sixth before a late-race caution shuffled the field. He crossed the line in ninth, his best run since Martinsville in April. The effort came a week after a 22nd-place finish at Loudon, where he struggled with handling.

Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney both finished inside the top five. Cindric led 12 laps and beat Blaney to the line by 0.879 seconds. Logano’s run kept Penske’s streak of top-10s alive, though he admitted the car still wasn’t perfect.

The Atlanta rebound gives Logano and Penske a lift after a patch of uneven results. The team’s last win came at Darlington in May, and Atlanta’s 1.52-mile layout usually suits the No. 22’s strengths. Logano’s ninth-place finish moved him up two spots to 11th in points.

Logano told reporters the team made “a couple of really good adjustments” between Loudon and Atlanta. He pointed to tire wear and rear downforce as the keys to closing the gap to the leaders. The result also kept Penske’s streak of fielding at least one car in the top 10 for 20 consecutive races intact.

Penske rolls to New Hampshire next weekend for the 200-lap race on the 1.025-mile oval. Logano has two top-fives at Loudon in his last three starts, including a win in 2024. The team will look to carry Atlanta’s momentum into a track where they’ve traditionally excelled.

Cindric’s victory in Atlanta marked Penske’s first win since Darlington. The team now eyes a repeat run at New Hampshire, where Blaney has two straight top-10s. Logano, meanwhile, will keep refining the car to chase another shot at Victory Lane.