Recently, Joey Logano shared his thoughts on the penalty NASCAR gave him for his post-Richmond pit lane actions. The Team Penske driver was seen doing a burnout to vent his frustration as he passed Austin Dillon’s pit stop.
The Cook Out 400 race saw RCR driver Dillon take his first win of the 2024 season after colliding with Logano and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin on the final lap. The No. 22 of Logano was aiming for his second win, but spun out of the No. 3 of Dillon in Turn 3. As a result, a frustrated Logano set a burnout and was fined $50,000 for safety violations. In a recent conversation with Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Joey Logano said he accepted NASCAR’s fine, but defended his behavior in the pit. He said:
“I mean, let’s be real, what I did was probably not right. I had full control of my vehicle. I never hit anybody. It never occurred to me that I should hit somebody with a vehicle . “I was very frustrated at that point.”
“But I understand the optics of the situation. And if you’re on the other side, they don’t know that I haven’t touched anyone. So I understand the pain… But I’m not a robot. . I’m human Logano added [0:46]. Furthermore, the two-time Cup Series champion drew parallels between his actions in the pits and those of a thief in a house.
He said, “It’s kind of like having your house burgled. And they took all your stuff. And then, about a minute and a half later, you see everybody jump out of your house with all your stuff. What would you do? Also, #22 Joey Logano was not the only one penalized for his actions. Richard Childress Racing driver Dillon was also penalized 25 points and stripped of his playoff spot by NASCAR’s sanctioning body for his controversial win at Richmond Raceway.
“He crossed the line” – NASCAR VP on Joey Logano and Austin Dillon penalties
In a conversation with reporter Jeff Gluck, NASCAR’s senior vice president of Racing, Elton Sawyer, shared his views on the actions of Joey Logano and Austin Dillon.
Former NASCAR driver Sawyer, who has competed in more than 400 NASCAR races during his career, said drivers know where the line is and claimed the pair crossed their line. He said:
“I promise you, as a race car driver, they know where the line is. It’s been a few years since I did it, but I promise you I knew where the line was. Hard NASCAR racing — a little crash, a little tire track, pulling a guy out of a pit to win a race — we’ve been doing it for years. What happened Sunday night crossed the line.
