Joey Logano Wins 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship
Byron Takes Sunoco Rookie of the Year Honors; Ford Captures Manufacturer Title
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 19, 2018) – Following a long and winding road, Joey Logano finally owns the biggest prize in motorsports.
The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford capped off a memorable season in fitting fashion – by capturing the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship with a victory in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
To take the title, Logano outdueled his Championship 4 competitors Martin Truex Jr. (second), Kevin Harvick (third) and Kyle Busch (fourth).
This was the Middletown, Connecticut, native’s third trip to the Championship 4 (2014, 2016). Logano had a strong season, securing his spot in the Playoffs with a win at Talladega Superspeedway.
Once the Playoffs began, Logano upped his performance to another level, recording a top-10 finish in eight of the 10 postseason races and scoring more points than any other driver. He won the opening race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville in a wild finish securing his spot in the Championship 4.
Logano finished the season with three wins, 12 top fives and 25 top 10s.
Logano’s title also marks the second championship for Team Penske and owner Roger Penske. The organization’s first title was in 2012 when Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 team won the title.
William Byron clinched the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title following the race at ISM Raceway. Byron won rookie of the year in 2016 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and went on to win it again in 2017 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
On the strength of a series-high 19 victories, Ford won the Monster Energy Series Manufacturer Championship.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
Sources: Mike Forde/NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications