During the 2025 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway last Sunday, Christopher Bell secured a $1 million victory with a late pass over Joey Logano. Following the event, Dale Earnhardt Jr expressed his belief that Bell is a fair competitor and criticized Logano’s immediate response to the racing incident. The remarks came after Logano reacted emotionally, claiming he would have wrecked Bell if given another chance.
Joey Logano’s remarks spark controversy
After the race, Logano voiced frustration over how Bell raced him, stating that he felt wronged by Bell’s maneuvers. He admitted he would have intentionally crashed Bell if he had caught up. Although Logano later retracted these comments, describing them as a heat-of-the-moment reaction, Earnhardt Jr remains bothered by the initial statement and believes it paints an unfair picture of Bell’s driving style.
Dale Earnhardt Jr criticizes Logano’s quick judgment
On his Dale Jr Download podcast, Earnhardt Jr addressed Logano’s response directly, commenting,
“Joey Logano got out of the car after the All-Star race and said that he was annoyed with how he was raced by CBell [Christopher Bell].”
He added,
“Apparently, he’s now walked that stuff back. He was like ‘yep, I was a little heat of the moment’.”
Earnhardt Jr urged fans and observers to review the race from a broader perspective, emphasizing,
“You get out from a 40,000-foot view and watch it, and you go, ‘Okay, it’s for a million dollars’… it was clean.”
He defended Bell’s reputation, stating,
“Christopher Bell’s not a dirty driver. Has anybody ever seen Christopher Bell do anything suspect? I think the guy’s kinda one of the nice guys.”
Despite acknowledging Logano’s retraction, Earnhardt Jr voiced his continued disappointment:
“I still have a problem with Joey having that instant reaction.”
For him to have the instant reaction he had still is an irk.
—Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR legend and podcast host
Implications for driver reputations and future races
The disagreement highlights the tensions often present in high-stakes NASCAR events, especially when large sums of money and championship implications are involved. Bell’s clean win under pressure reinforces his standing as a skilled and fair competitor, while Logano’s statements reveal the intense emotions drivers experience during competition.
This incident may influence how drivers respond publicly after close finishes in the future, potentially encouraging more measured reactions. As the NASCAR season progresses, attention will remain on interactions between key drivers like Bell, Logano, and others within top teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske.
