Two of NASCAR's most talented superspeedway racers - Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski - spent the final 35-or-so laps of Sunday's Ambetter Health 400 engaged in an intense battle for the victory, which ultimately came down to the final lap of the race.
Joey Logano, who captured the championship in the NASCAR Cup Series last year, came out on top in the battle for the victory, as a result of a masterful last-lap move to get his No. 22 Ford Mustang to the right-rear quarter-panel of then race leader, Brad Keselowski.
The Middletown, Connecticut-native dominated Sunday's event, leading a race-high 140 of 260 laps, but was able to rebound from a major loss of track position in the final stage of the race, which put him as far back as 20th-place in the running order.
For Logano, the victory marks his first at any configuration of Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Cup Series, a track in which he grew up racing the quarter-mile track in the trioval as a young racer, and the 32nd win in his NASCAR Cup Series career, which began in 2008.
The victory, the first for any manufacturer other than Chevrolet in the Cup Series this season, ensures that Logano will have a chance to defend his title when the series contest the 10-race NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs this Fall.
Leading 39 of the race's final 40 laps, Brad Keselowski was still able to recover for a runner-up result, continuing what has been a season of major improvement for both driver and organization, RFK Racing, with his best-ever finish for the team.
Christopher Bell rebounded from having to start at the rear of the field, after Joe Gibbs Racing had to make adjustments to the underbody of his No. 20 Toyota Camry TRD after a qualifying spin. Bell recorded a third-place result, his third top-five of 2023.
Corey LaJoie, a master of the newly-reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway, finished in fourth-place, a career-best result for the Spire Motorsports driver which leaves him inside the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs leaving the fifth event of 2023.
Tyler Reddick finished fifth, recording his second consecutive top-five result, after not being sure if he would be able to compete in Sunday's event after falling ill the morning of.
Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Ty Gibbs, and Kyle Busch completed the race's top-10 finishers.
William Byron, who has won the last two NASCAR Cup Series events at Las Vegas and Phoenix, finished outside the top-30 after getting caught up in a 12-car accident in the middle portion of Sunday's race, which also involved Kevin Harvick, Josh Berry, and Chris Buescher.
Leaving Atlanta, Joey Logano holds a one-point advantage in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings over Christopher Bell. While Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, and Brad Keselowski complete the top-five spots in standings heading to the first road course event of 2023.
Next for the NASCAR Cup Series is a trip to Circuit of The Americas, where Ross Chastain will look to defend the site of his first victory at NASCAR's top-level, and the first victory for Trackhouse Racing.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images, Courtesy of NASCAR Media
