June 28 - It was a record setting day in NASCAR as Joe Gibbs Racing's Joey Logano captured his first victory on the sport's highest level when he won the rain shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at his home track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway and in the process broke his teammate's record as the youngest winner ever in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

 

Kyle Busch had previously held the mark of youngest to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at 20 years, 4 months and 2 days old, but with this victory today, Logano set a new mark just one month and four days following his 19th birthday. He already held the record for becoming the youngest ever to win a NASCAR Nationwide Series race with a victory in Kentucky last summer less than a month after turning 18. 

 

Logano's victory also provided a sweep for JGR the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, as JGR developmental driver Matt DiBenedetto started the weekend with a victory behind the wheel of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil Toyota in NASCAR's Camping World Series East race Friday night and Kyle Busch captured Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series race behind the wheel of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota.

 

Friday's qualifying for the race was canceled due to rain which left the field to be set by the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings. That left Logano starting from the 24th position in just his 20th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The rookie from nearby Middletown, CT was able to hover near his starting position for much of the first half of the race, but contact on lap 182 caused a tire to go down and ultimately forced him a lap down. The No. 20 Home Depot crew was excellent once again in the pits in making the repairs and when a caution flew a short time later, Logano was able to get the lap back courtesy of being the lucky dog recipient on lap 189.

 

From there it was a matter of pit strategy and veteran crew chief Greg Zipadelli made the right call in keeping Logano on the track for as long as possible as the leaders began their pit cycles. Several others attempted the same strategy, but none were successful and when Ryan Newman ran out of gas on lap 263, Logano assumed the lead for the first time. As the rain fell Logano saved fuel running under caution and managed to hold the lead when the rain intensified forcing the red flag. A short time later the race was made official and NASCAR had a new record and it 11th different winner of the 2009 season.

 

Denny Hamlin and Busch both managed to slide up one position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings and now hold 6th and 8th place respectively. Logano's victory gained him three spots into the 21st position.