The Latest: Logano wins opening stage of NASCAR playoff race

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on NASCAR’s opening playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (all times local):

5:05 p.m.

Reigning series champion Joey Logano has won the first stage of Sunday’s opening round of NASCAR’s playoffs.

Logano led four Fords at the end of the stage, with the Stewart-Haas Racing trio of Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and Daniel Suarez right behind him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch grazed the wall just five laps into the race and he plummeted to 28th in the running order.

Busch eventually had to pit for a tire rub under green and that dropped the regular-season champion to last in the 39-driver field and down two laps. Although he picked up a few positions, he was mired at the bottom of the running order in 32nd at the end of the stage.

As Busch was fixing his issues, Harvick later brushed the wall, telling his crew, “It wasn’t like I slapped it, I just kind of rubbed it.” The damage did not hurt him in the opening stage and he beat Logano off pit road to take the lead for the start of the second stage.

Brad Keselowski, the defending race winner and Logano’s teammate, didn’t have the same early strength in his Ford and ended the stage in 21st.

Moments after the second stage began, playoff contender Erik Jones had a mechanical problem that sent him to the garage and will likely make it very difficult for him to advance to the second round of the playoffs.