The recent Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway ended in frustration for Joey Logano, a three-time NASCAR champion, as he was caught in a massive Stage 2 crash that involved nearly half the competitors. Reflecting on his unfortunate exit, Logano drew parallels to a notorious collision with Matt Kenseth from nearly a decade ago.
Background on the Logano-Kenseth Rivalry
In 2015, tension between Logano and Kenseth boiled over during the NASCAR season. Logano wrecked Kenseth at Kansas Speedway, damaging Kenseth’s chances of advancing to the Round of 8. At that point, Logano’s own place in the next playoff stage was secure, meaning he did not need to be aggressive against other drivers who were still fighting to qualify.
Kenseth was not one to forget the incident. He retaliated later at Martinsville while Logano was attempting to secure a Championship 4 berth. Kenseth unexpectedly caused a wreck that ended Logano’s race, blaming an overly stiff car for his inability to turn properly—a claim met with widespread skepticism, including from Logano himself.
Reflections on the Atlanta Wreck
During a press briefing, Logano compared the havoc at Atlanta to that earlier clash with Kenseth, stating,
“I don’t have any comment for that. Some days you’re the bat, some days you’re the ball. It’s a disappointing end.”
This quote had originally come from Kenseth in 2015, but Logano echoed it to describe his recent misfortune. NASCAR reported that 23 cars were involved in the Atlanta wreck, marking one of the largest pile-ups outside of the sport’s two biggest superspeedway races at Daytona and Talladega.
Almost no driver, including Logano, knew what precisely triggered the accident during Stage 2. Logano noted,
“Just a speedway wreck. Wrong place at the wrong time. Tried to win the stage and we couldn’t get that done, and you got to pay the piper when you go to the back there.”
After eventually reviewing the crash replay, Logano expressed a mix of disbelief and frustration:
“The whole field wrecked, and I’m just in the soup there. Oh my gosh, look at that. Oh, that’s horrible.”
Despite the setback, Logano, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang, holds 11th place in the points standings and has already secured a playoff spot for the postseason.
Implications for the Remainder of the Season
The Atlanta race was the 18th contest of the NASCAR season, leaving eight more races before the playoff field is finalized. With Logano safely in the playoffs, other drivers are still battling to claim one of the remaining slots in the postseason. The chaotic wreck at EchoPark Speedway underscores how unpredictable the season’s final stretch can be, as a single event can abruptly alter championship hopes.
