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Joey Logano‘s late-race move to get past the leading No. 20 car of Matt Kenseth in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway remains a topic of hot debate, and the Team Penske driver addressed the controversial maneuver Monday morning on “The Dan Patrick Show,” simulcasted on NBCSN.
While the five-time 2015 Sprint Cup Series winner expressed his disappointment that Kenseth’s Toyota was spun out, he certainly isn’t apologizing for racing hard despite already advancing to the Eliminator Round.
“I think all of us are racers; we all just want to race hard and race for wins,” Logano said. “He was doing what he needed to do and I was doing what I had to do and it’s unfortunate we collided there and ended up getting tangled up.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s just hard racing. We were both racing for a win. It’s Chase time right now and everyone has picked up their intensity level and sometimes things happen.”
Things happen, but was the move intentional? Logano appeared to have the faster car and theoretically could’ve passed Kenseth during the final laps – but a spin? The lower Kenseth finishes in the running order, the less likely it is that the 2003 champ moves on to the Eliminator, an obvious benefit for Logano.
A little bump to the 20 could certainly be looked at as a strategy.
RELATED: Was Logano’s move on Kenseth clean or dirty?
“I wouldn’t say it was a tactic. Our tactic was to go out there and win the race. That’s what we tried to do,” Logano replied after Patrick asked if the bump was part of the plan. “We don’t try to go out there and wreck someone, by no means, but we go out there and try to race hard. He was racing hard, as well. That’s just what happens sometimes.
“I think the way NASCAR has applied this new Chase format with the elimination process, it really puts a lot of people in do-or-die situations and when that happens, crazy things seem to happen on the race track. NASCAR has put us in a position where we have to race hard. I think it puts a great product on the race track and it’s a lot of fun for the fans to watch.”
There’s no denying the new format of the Chase has increased the drama for the season’s 10-race playoff system – we saw that start last year – which has just added to an already exhilarating way to end the season.
Because of this, Patrick asked Logano if he viewed himself as an entertainer.
“I’m here to race; I’m not here to entertain,” said Logano. “In the meantime, if we entertain some people, that’s great. But my job … Roger Penske hired me to win races.
“That’s my job and I need to produce that.”