RELATED: Drivers react to Logano’s move | Talladega race center
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Matt Kenseth initially shrugged off a handful of questions about last week’s incident with Joey Logano during his media availability at Talladega Superspeedway, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver eventually warmed up — and fired a few shots.
“I wouldn’t do anything different because I didn’t do anything wrong,” said Kenseth, who almost certainly must win Sunday’s race to advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. “I did everything I was supposed to do.
“I did everything I could do to win the race. He drove himself into the wall twice.”
Kenseth was leading last week’s race at Kansas Speedway late, battling Logano. Kenseth attempted to hold off Logano over the final laps, Logano attempted to pass Kenseth — somewhere during that battle, Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota went for a spin after making contact with Logano’s No. 22 Ford.
Logano, who won the race, said Kenseth had previously blocked him, so he didn’t lift the next time the two got close.
Kenseth, who finished 14th, said Logano spun him intentionally and without justification.
“Someday he might mature a little bit,” Kenseth said of the Team Penske driver. “But first of all, he should have stopped running his mouth, A, and No. 2, he’s lying when he said he didn’t do it on purpose. He lifted the tires off the ground, and he’s too good a race car driver to do that by accident.”
Logano didn’t back down from his stance either, according to FOX Sports.
“I’ve had time to look at it, and truly I stay true to how I feel,” Logano told FOX Sports. “I don’t think either one of us is sorry about how it happened. We were both racing hard. He was doing what he had to do. I don’t blame him. I don’t look bad at him for blocking. If I was in his shoes I’d probably do the same thing. If he was in my shoes, he’d probably do the same thing as well.”
NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France called Logano’s move “quintessential NASCAR” earlier this week — a statement Kenseth would not address when asked.
“I don’t know what that word means,” Kenseth quipped. “I wasn’t very good in high school … once I learn what that means I can probably answer that better.”