Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano at center of – Sports News
Sunday’s playoff elimination race at Martinsville Speedway will carry back not-so-fond reminiscences for 2 drivers in championship competition as soon as again this yr.
Six years in the past, longtime rivals Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano obtained into a post-race scuffle on pit street at Martinsville after Hamlin squeezed Logano’s car into the skin wall late within the spherical of 8 playoff race.
The contact brought about a tire rub and spin for Logano’s Team Penske No. 22 Ford, dropping him out of the top-five and race competition.
After the race, Logano walked up to Hamlin and his crewmembers on pit street to get an rationalization for the bump. What began as a civilized back-and-forth rapidly devolved into one thing neither driver will probably be proud to look back on.
As Logano walked away, he smacked Hamlin’s proper shoulder, which the Joe Gibbs Racing driver took exception to. Hamlin instantly went after Logano and each drivers’ crewmembers obtained concerned to separate the scuffle.
One of Logano’s tire technicians, Dave Nichols Jr, yanked Hamlin’s fire go well with from behind, sending the No. 11 Toyota driver to the ground. Nichols Jr was subsequently suspended for the subsequent playoff race for a behavioral penalty that addresses “member-to-member confrontation with physical violence.”
“I was frustrated about the situation obviously,” Logano stated about Hamlin’s contact. “I just really wanted to go over there to talk to him and get his side of the story on what happened, and he just said ‘I ran you up in the wall’ basically.”
“It wasn’t as apologetic as I was looking for, and that probably escalated the situation too much. I shouldn’t have shoved him. For all the kids watching, that wasn’t the best thing to do. But I was frustrated, tempers were high and it’s the playoffs, so that’s what happens.
Logano rallied from 19th to eighth over the final 35 laps, but it wasn’t enough as he was eliminated from contention before the Championship Four. Hamlin went on to finish fourth at Martinsville, and won at Phoenix two weeks later to clinch his berth in the championship race.
The Martinsville tussle was not the first between the former JGR teammates, whose history of clashing dates back to 2013 when Hamlin caused Logano to spin out at Bristol due to the latter’s aggressive driving.
“Denny’s Denny, you know. He’s a little bit arrogant sometimes,” Logano stated. “I should be stronger than let that get underneath me when he does that.”
Entering Sunday, Hamlin has already clinched his spot within the Championship Four as he seeks his first profession Cup Series title, whereas Logano (-38) is in must-win mode together with William Byron (-36), Ryan Blaney (-47), and Chase Elliott (-67).
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