"Everybody does the same thing" - Joey Logano defends his chaotic move at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Team Penske driver Joey Logano certainly ruffled some feathers during last weekend's Verizon 200 at The Brickyard. The 200-mile-long race saw the #22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang driver take an aggressive approach to the 1st of 14 turns on the Indianapolis Road Course.
The long front straightaway and the heavy braking zone into turn 1 of the track, which incidentally is a 90-degree right-hander, meant opportunistic driving was taken a step too far by Logano and a few other drivers, as they hoped to make up places in the race. The restarts during the race saw carnage unfold at the first turn, with the field piling into corners 5 and 6-wide at times.
What. Just. Happened?
Joey Logano goes five-wide, multiple cars spin, Austin Dillon's car gets stuck and the caution comes out. #NASCAR https://t.co/6CRHhshQFF
With the width of the tarmac only big enough to support a 2-car lane through Turn 1, this spelled disaster for the drivers. Many cars spun out and made heavy contact with others as they tried to transition into the sweeping left-hander that is Turn 2. Many drivers called out others' lack of respect on the track, and Joey Logano was among those that were called out. He was seen taking an aggressive approach on the final restart of the race.
Joey Logano (22) is the guy still trying to fit into 32-inch jeans when he is really a 38 now. https://t.co/B9R4p6Kbyf
In his latest appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio's The Morning Drive, Logano broke silence about his side of the equation and said:
“Turn 1 there is, on a restart, is just asking for it. You have a wide entry that funnels down in the first two turns to like two-wide, maybe you can go three-wide if you’re feeling extra crazy. If you’re not the aggressor in that situation, the move’s being put on you, and then you’re getting dumped. You really have one option. And everybody knows it, and everybody does the same thing, so everyone just tries to move forward, and then it all funnels when you get to Turn 1, and then it’s ‘bang-boom.’”
Joey Logano's take on whether racing at the Indianapolis Road Course was respectful last Sunday
Moments after the first conversation about the first corner in Indianapolis, MRN commentator Mike Bagley asked Joey Logano about the give and take of respect amongst drivers on the race track. The 32-year-old Team Penske driver responded with a unique take on the subject, and said:
“I feel like some people are just going to complain, and no matter what, there’s going to be somebody complain about something. You just can’t make everybody happy. If everyone races too clean, and it’s just a gentleman’s race, no one is going to want to watch that. Oh I just let him go and he let him go. What’s that?”
Listen to the complete conversation below:
"Fans want to see drivers hate each other." - @joeylogano💭 "Fans want to see drivers hate each other." - @joeylogano
The @Team_Penske driver speaks on the balance of aggressiveness in the #NASCAR Cup Series on the heels of the @IMS Road Course, citing the difficulty to pass as a contributing factor. @TheMikeBagley @nateryan https://t.co/LO1dBz6JM4
Fans will certainly be there for and against the Middletown, Connecticut native's response.
Watch Joey Logano take to the Michigan International Speedway this upcoming weekend for the FireKeepers Casino 400.