Holds off Buescher to claim 5th Nationwide victory

Joey Logano films a spot for ESPN at Michigan International Speedway. The 22-year-old has won five out of the last eight Nationwide races after winning Saturday's Alliance Truck Parts 250.

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Joey Logano films a spot for ESPN at Michigan International Speedway. The 22-year-old has won five out of the last eight Nationwide races after winning Saturday's Alliance Truck Parts 250.

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Winning has become more than just a habit for Joey Logano. It's becoming the standard for the 22-year-old driver.

Logano's success continued Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. Off the final restart, Logano held off James Buescher to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Alliance Truck Parts 250.

"We've had a lot of confidence in myself and my ability and what I can do in a race car," Logano said. "I feel like I'm feeding my crew chief information, and they're doing the best job they can do to make the best race cars for me."

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Logano has won five of the last eight Nationwide races and won his first Sprint Cup race of the season last weekend.

"There hasn't been an opportunity where we've slipped up yet," Logano said. "I've been in position to win a race, and we've capitalized."

In Saturday's Nationwide race, Logano anticipated Buescher's attempt to scoot around his Toyota entering the final lap.

"He did exactly what I thought he was going to do," Logano said. "I was able to kind of work my game plan and come out ahead enough to win the race. I had a lot of fun with that."

Brad Keselowski (22), Johanna Long (70), and Danny Efland (4) compete in the Nationwide race at Michigan International Speedway.

Defiance native Sam Hornish, Jr., finished sixth and led twice for a total of 25 laps of the 125-lap race.

Danica Patrick avoided an early ending to her afternoon twice in the race -- first, she spun out in the early laps, then spun out on the 102nd lap to bring out the race's fifth of seven cautions.

With 12 laps left, the right side of Patrick's Chevrolet hit the wall coming out of turn 2 and she finished 18th.

Logano had a short span of time to enjoy the win. He had to return to the track for additional Sprint Cup practice after the Nationwide race.

"I learned a lot that I need to work on in my Home Depot car," Logano said before leaving the postrace news conference. "I gotta go work on that. I'm sorry."

ANOTHER RECORD: Speeds increased during Saturday's Nationwide qualifying session as each driver took two laps on the course. Twenty drivers had speeds higher than Greg Biffle's Nationwide track qualifying record of 186.548 miles per hour, set Aug. 18, 2007.

But Austin Dillon won the pole by setting a Nationwide track qualifying record of 190.375.

WRONG WAY? During Saturday morning's Sprint Cup qualifying, Kevin Harvick began his first qualifying lap but turned around and drove the opposite direction in the track to re-start. Harvick still finished with the top speed of 202.037 miles per hour among the first 13 drivers in the 45-driver qualifying field.

"That was as loose as it's been," Harvick said of his car. "I stopped, turned around, and tried to get a run at it."

Carl Edwards did the same maneuver but didn't run the qualifying laps, citing fuel issues. Edwards will start second-to-last in the 43-driver field. Edwards qualified for today's Sprint Cup race on the basis of owner points.

SOMETHING NEW: NASCAR and Goodyear decided to switch left-side tires to those with a tougher tread and more durable mold and construction and gave Sprint Cup drivers another practice session after the Nationwide race.

Speeds in Saturday's last practice on the new left-side tires were slower than the morning qualifying. Biffle had the fastest lap time of 195.647.

BUSCH RETURNS: Kurt Busch finished third in the Nationwide race and was short when asked about not competing last weekend because of a NASCAR-mandated suspension.

"It was great to drive the car," Busch said.