Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia
Commentary

Joey Logano is no stranger to confrontation

Since joining Team Penske, Joey Logano has been as fast as greased lightning.

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after a fight on pit road
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Greg Biffle, Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Newman, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota comes to a rest after crashing on last lap
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano, Penske Racing Ford walks to his hauler after an altercation with Tony Stewart
Joey Logano, Penske Racing Ford is held back after an altercation with Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet unhappy after the race
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Race winner Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Race winner Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Race winner Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

But that doesn’t mean he’s abandoned his status as a high-profile lightning rod — and that’s just fine.

Logano’s take-no-prisoners approach has fueled some of the most memorable rivalries in modern-day NASCAR racing— including his latest skirmish with former teammate Kyle Busch on Sunday.

After the final restart, Busch was fourth behind leader Brad Keselowski with nine laps remaining in the Kobalt 400. When Keselowski had a mechanical issue on Lap 265 of 267 and lost his brakes, eventual winner Martin Truex Jr., took the top spot, Kyle Larson moved to second, and Busch and Logano battled for fourth.

Logano and Busch made contact in Turn 3 after moving to the inside to pass Keselowski on the final lap. Logano drove his No. 22 Ford aggressively into Turn 3 and washed up the track into Busch's No. 18 Toyota. Busch’s car spun out of control off Turn 4 and slid toward the inside wall on pit road.

While the incident could be ascribed to hard racing on the last lap, Busch insisted he was dumped. He climbed from his car and took off after Logano. Without uttering a word, Busch started swinging (WATCH HERE).

“Flat-out just drove straight into the corner,” Busch said later. “That’s how Joey races, so he’s going to get it.”

Logano, 26, saw the incident differently.

“I was underneath him on the backstretch and he tried to crash me into the corner getting underneath there and at that point I was just trying get through the corner,” Logano said. “I was sideways all the way through and get into him.

“Nothing intentional. I understand his frustration, he crashed. The same thing could have happened into (Turn) 3, what he did to me.”

Again, two drivers agreeing to disagree.

Logano was just 18 when he made his Cup debut. Nicknamed “Sliced Bread” (as in the best thing since) by former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie, Logano had the unenviable task of living up to the hype. If that weren’t bad enough, when he inherited the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing ride from Tony Stewart, the expectations multiplied.

Logano won in his 20th-career Cup start at his home track — New Hampshire Motor Speedway. However, the race was rain-shortened and critics questioned the legitimacy of the win. Over the next three seasons with JGR, Logano never blossomed as advertised. His best finish in the standings was 16th.

Logano vs. Biffle

Although he picked up a second-career Cup win — from the pole in the 2012 June race at Pocono — Logano collected a lot more adversaries along the way. There was Greg Biffle in the Xfinity Series at Kansas Speedway in 2009. The following week, Biffle took matters into his own hands at Auto Club Speedway by running Logano up the track and into the wall. Biffle earned the ire of Logano’s father Tom, who lost his annual credential over the exchange.

Logano vs. Harvick

And who could forget the run-ins between Logano and Harvick? The infamous “His wife wears the firesuit in the family” comment came after Harvick spun Logano at Pocono in 2010. The drivers also ran afoul of each other in the 2014 Clash at Daytona. Logano won the Daytona 500 the following week. But two months later, Harvick and Logano were at it again at Texas Motor Speedway.

Logano vs. Newman

Ryan Newman attempted to teach Logano to respect his elders when he insisted the young driver not call him “dude” at the 2010 August Michigan race. Logano accused Newman of racing him — and everyone else —  “too hard”. Newman accused Logano of needing to control his race car. After Logano touched his competitor to make a point, Newman pushed him away and NASCAR officials stepped in. Newman defended his position by saying, “I’m just trying to teach the little kid how to drive."

Logano vs. Hamlin and Stewart

Kyle Busch isn’t the first Gibbs driver to tangle with Logano since he left JGR for Team Penske. After Logano lost control following contact with Denny Hamlin at the spring 2013 Bristol race, he refused to give the Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota an inch coming to the checkers at Fontana. Hamlin ended up in the wall — and missed four races with a compression fracture to his spine. Tony Stewart, who was blocked by the No. 22 Ford on the last restart, also confronted Logano after the race.

Logano vs. Kenseth

After wining a career-high five races in 2014 and qualifying for the Championship 4 in the Playoffs, Logano appeared destined to improve on those numbers the following season, until he ran into Matt Kenseth — literally. Kenseth had led 153 laps in the fall Kansas race. But Logano had the faster car and spun Kenseth out of the way with seven laps remaining in the race for the win.

Logano won the next week at Talladega Superspeedway to earn a sixth win — a personal best. The following week at Martinsville Speedway, Logano had led 207 of the first 458 laps when Kenseth exacted his revenge. Kenseth pile-drove Logano into the Turn 1 wall and ended Logano's race — and any championship hopes the Team Penske driver might have had.

Since joining Penske in 2013, Logano has amassed 15 of his 17 wins. Only champions Jimmie Johnson (20 wins) and Kevin Harvick (16 wins) have more victories over the last four seasons.

Yes, he’s ruffled more than a few feathers along the way. But long after his rivals retire, Logano will still be winning. At 26, Logano is just getting started.

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Logano on Busch: "We're going to have to work through it somehow"
Next article Ford Performance boss believes Carl Edwards will come back

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia