Joey Logano holds on to win NASCAR Xfinity race at Talladega

Talladega, Ala. — Joey Logano picked up his third Xfinity Series win of the season by throwing a big block on the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway.

Logano led a race-high 40 laps Saturday but had to withstand an intense final race to the checkered flag.

The Team Penske driver was the leader on a restart with eight laps remaining, and defending race winner Elliott Sadler hooked to his bumper. Sadler pushed Logano around and around the superspeedway as an outside lane of traffic formed alongside them.

As the final lap began, Sadler had no room to make any sort of attempt to pass Logano for the lead.

Chris Buescher, his teammate at Roush Fenway Racing, was leading the outside line and mounting a challenge on Logano. As Sadler found himself boxed in, he slid off of Logano’s bumper.

Logano then drifted up the track to block Buescher and the entire outside line — a move that secured the win.

“That was crazy,” Logano said in Victory Lane. “It’s so fun and so intense, I’m still trying to catch my breath. It’s so intense out there, you’re looking at everything in the mirror the whole time.”

Brian Scott snagged second place at the finish line and was followed by Austin Dillon as Chevrolets from Richard Childress Racing completed the podium.

J.J. Yeley was fourth in a Toyota and Joey Gase, who started 39th, finished a career-best fifth.

Gase, who had never scored a top-10 in 84 previous starts, was overwhelmed after the finish. A 21-year-old struggling driver, Gase had not finished higher than 25th this season before Saturday.