The "Monster Mile" didn't bite Joey Logano nearly as hard this time. A year after Logano hit the turn three wall at Dover International Speedway and launched his Toyota into an dizzying array of barrel rolls and acrobatic twists, he returned to the fall race at Dover and emerged unscathed and happy with a third-place finish.
But he was still feeling just how physical the one-mile concrete oval can be.
"I'm just trying to catch my breath. That was a long race," Logano said after recording his fourth top five of the season.
Logano, who led a single lap and spent 89 percent of his race in the top 15, started 22nd and moved up early. He was in fifth by the halfway mark.
The second-year driver credited himself with the so-so qualifying position.
"We started towards the back thanks to me in qualifying," Logano said. "The guys did a really good job getting my car good in practice and had a really good car in happy hour."
Logano had a better starting spot for last year's race, his second-career Sprint Cup event at Dover. But after taking the green flag in 11th in 2009, he was involved in a melee on lap 30 that -- through a combination of contact with the outside wall and other cars -- sent his No. 20 rolling in spectacular fashion.
Dramatic images followed of his father, Tom, sprinting to the infield medical center and Joey later emerging from the ordeal unscathed -- save for some trembling in his voice and hands.
"It just really scared the heck out of me," Logano said in 2009. "The biggest thing was, I was fine the whole time. I'm not really sure what happened. I haven't seen a replay, and I'm not sure I want to see the replay. It started rolling, and I was in there thinking, 'Man, just make this thing stop.' "
Avoiding such a fate worked out a little better for Logano on Sunday. Better enough, even, to let him think about a checkered flag.
"I feel like we were close to winning that thing," Logano said. "Came up a little bit short, but either way it's better than last year."
WHO'S HOT: At this point, it's probably criminal to think Jimmie Johnson won't be a factor in this championship.
WHO'S NOT: Matt Kenseth's blown tire after missing pit road during a green flag stop on Sunday put the nail in his Chase coffin.
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