“An uneducated question from people that don’t understand our sport”: Joey Logano obliterates ‘ridiculous’ belief about NASCAR drivers
Joey Logano has slammed the 'ridiculous' assumption that NASCAR drivers are not athletes. While addressing the Phoenix Raceway’s media availability, Logano voiced concerns about the critics he considers 'uneducated' on the sport.
NASCAR is undoubtedly a physically demanding sport. Yet, some still believe it doesn't require peak physical condition. But Logano shut that belief down. The high G-forces, elevated heart rate throughout the race, extensive muscle engagement in maneuvering the NextGen car, and more, demand the drivers to have a pristine physical state.
Logano didn't mince words when asked whether drivers get the credit they deserve as athletes. The three-time Cup Series champion vented his frustration, citing the NBA's example to prove his point.
"The fact that they even ask us is a bit ridiculous, in my opinion...if you give me a basketball, I’m not going to be that great with it, it’s the same way you put an NBA player in a NASCAR race car, and they’re not going to be that great either. So are you going to tell me now an NBA player is not an athlete because he can’t drive a race car? Probably not," Joey Logano said via Cup Scene (3:23 onwards).
"When people are competing at a high level, at the very top with the amount of pressure that we all deal with, and not to mention that obviously the physical strains that it takes to drive these race cars these days...It’s kind of hard to say we’re not, but it’s an uneducated question from people that don’t understand our sport is what it is,” he added.
Following his 24th-place finish at the Circuit of The Americas, Logano will begin the Phoenix race ranked P24 in the standings.
Joey Logano opines on his teammate Austin Cindric's penalty
Joey Logano's teammate, Austin Cindric, invited trouble after deliberately spinning out Kaulig Racing's Ty Dillon in COTA. Dillon slightly nudged the Team Penske driver during the Lap 4 battle. As a result, the former retaliated. Thus, Cindric was slapped with a $50,000 penalty and docked 50 driver points.
However, the ruling raised eyebrows as the precedent indicated that such an act would lead to suspension -like when Bubba Wallace was suspended for intentionally wrecking Kyle Larson during the 2022 Las Vegas race.
But Cindric was not suspended. NASCAR clarified the decision, with chief Mike Forde explaining that since COTA is a road course with not much room to spare, the officials deemed the given penalty fit.
Logano was asked if he was at peace with NASCAR's philosophy on Cindric's retaliation.
“Its one thing to be written in the rule book and somtimes its really hard to understand it because its a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo in there, but when they make a call on something and it’s this way you expect okay next time it should look like that if it’s a similar scenario. So I guess it’s case by case,” he replied.
As a result of the penalty, Joey Logano's teammate will begin his Phoenix race ranked 35th.