How NASCAR rule changes created chaos at Phoenix to put Joey Logano in Victory Lane

NASCAR’s chief racing development officer, Steve O’Donnell, looked comfortable fielding reporters’ questions after Sunday’s FanShield 500. That’s because O’Donnell probably wasn’t going to face much ridicule following the debut of the 2020 short-track package at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR’s updates were seen as a success.

“A lot of racing to go, but certainly feel like this is a good platform to start our short-track package,” O’Donnell told reporters. “And what we wanted to see as we head off to Martinsville and Richmond.

“... All-in-all, I thought it was really good.”

The new rules package was designed to create less down-force, meaning cars have less grip on the track, so driver handling and competition is emphasized. That was exactly how Sunday’s race played out. There were 20 lead changes among seven different drivers, with many more drivers making passes throughout the race.

“I think everyone in this whole facility took a sigh of relief today,” said race winner Joey Logano. “You know what I mean? I’m sure all you guys reporting on a race, you want to talk about how great something is, not that it was single file and we couldn’t pass.”

Logano added that even if his No. 22 car didn’t win, he would still consider it a good race. He said that he had to remain especially alert in the lead since he knew passes were frequent. Sunday was a different look from last-year’s Phoenix race, in which Kyle Busch dominated the field.

[Joey Logano wins NASCAR at Phoenix. Full FanShield 500 results, plus what we learned]

It’s also a promising result for future races since this year’s Cup Series championship will run at Phoenix Raceway in November. Although Logano has found early consistency as a leader (he has won two of the four races this season), the rules changes give the sport some unpredictability.

Logano, for example, didn’t take the lead until the 225th lap. Until then, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski had primarily battled for the front-running spot. Logano started 13th in the lineup, while Keselowski was 14th. Both Elliott (who was on the pole) and Harvick started in the front row. Truex Jr. made the biggest jump; he started last in the field due to a pre-qualifying engine change and made his way to the lead position by lap 138.

“It’s encouraging to see cars from the back make it up front,” O’Donnell said. “I think you saw some dominant cars for sure, but not only were drivers and teams able to catch the leader, but even when someone was passed for the lead, they were able to go back and actually retake the lead.”

O’Donnell said those changes are something spectators always want to see and he thought that type of dynamic racing was delivered at Sunday’s race. Far from a line, the field often ran three-wide — occasionally five-wide on the restarts — making it entertaining for even casual spectators.

[NASCAR’s Ryan Blaney crashes out of FanShield 500 at Phoenix after hitting Denny Hamlin]

Last year’s event at Phoenix Raceway saw 17 lead changes among six drivers. After multiple short-track races with limited passing, NASCAR officials, teams and manufacturers met at the end of last season to discuss how the competition could be enhanced for this year.

They emerged with the rules that were in place Sunday, which includes a significantly smaller rear spoiler (shorter by 5.25 inches) and a smaller front-splitter overhang (reduced to a quarter inch), as well as smaller front splitter wings (reduced from 10.5 to 2 inches). The changes makes the cars more aerodynamic and reduces the down-force on the track.

In addition to Phoenix, the same rules package will be in effect for races at Bristol, Dover, Martinsville, New Hampshire and Richmond. Those, too, should be anyone’s race.

“The competitors, I think NASCAR, I think the fans, the media, everyone that puts so much into this sport, it’s our life, right, so much that we do for it,” Logano said.

“It’s cool to see that we’re able to make changes and make a difference and really put on what I thought was obviously a great race.”

NASCAR FanShield 500 at Phoenix results

Get caught up on this past week in NASCAR

+ Joey Logano wins NASCAR at Phoenix. Full FanShield 500 results, plus what we learned

+ NASCAR drivers (and fans) love Twitter drama when Kyle Larson is in the middle of it

+ Ryan Newman smiling after violent Daytona 500 crash: ‘It’s great to be alive.’

This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 3:00 AM with the headline "How NASCAR rule changes created chaos at Phoenix to put Joey Logano in Victory Lane."

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription