Monday, July 04, 2016

Kurt Busch Joins Growing List Of Logano Rivals

Busch was unhappy with Logano's last-lap tactics
Add Kurt Busch to the list of drivers unhappy with the tactics of rival Joey Logano. 

Busch was fourth on the final lap of Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, before contact with Logano sent him spinning through the infield grass en route to a 23rd-place finish that left the Stewart Haas Racing driver seething. 

"We positioned ourselves to be the car to get a good run off the bottom,” said Busch, who is now 0-for-62 in restrictor plate races at Daytona and Talladega. “It just didn't work out with him trying to drive straight through us. It would have worked out better if he would have pushed us. We could have had a shot at (Brad Keselowski).” 

Saturday night’s clash was the latest in a series of set-tos for Logano, punctuated by a 2015 feud with Matt Kenseth that began with Kenseth spinning out of the lead at Kansas Speedway and ended with Logano being harpooned out of a potential win (and championship contention) at Martinsville. 

Logano: "I hate that I got into Kurt..."
There have been other clashes, as well, including a 2013 Bristol dispute with Denny Hamlin that may (or may not, depending on who you ask) have led to Hamlin’s broken back at Auto Club Speedway later that season. There was a second Fontana fracas with Martin Truex, Jr., and harsh feelings from Kevin Harvick following this year’s Daytona 500. All directed at a Penske Racing driver who – some say – steps over the line too easily and too often. 

Logano called Saturday’s the final lap,hard fought, for sure,” saying, “I hate that I got into Kurt at the end, racing to the line. I had a run to turn up underneath him. When you do that, the cars get free. I was there and he tried to catch it and I was there again. 

“It is a product of this (kind of) racing,” said Logano, pointing to a 19-car melee that eliminated a number of contenders early in the event. “I hate that it happened. The last thing I want to do is hit someone like that. Unfortunately, it happened.”  

Busch saw it differently, saying, “We did everything right tonight, except cross the line where we were supposed to.”  

Crew chief Tony Gibson was more succinct, tweeting, Stupid is as stupid does!!! #22 

Logano sees he has a chance to outrun his teammate, so he’s going to wreck you to (do it),” said Gibson, post-race. “It's just a shame. We had a fast car, (but) Logano races people like that. That's why he'll never win a championship. If he keeps pissing people off like that, he's never going to win. It's just stupid. Stupidity.” 

Roger Penske for the defense
Logano did have one outspoken supporter following Saturday night’s race. Team owner Roger Penske said his driver "has taken undue criticism -- from my perspective -- based on some of the things that have happened. Certainly you can go back (and criticize), but I can name three or four things that certainly weren't his fault.

"Honestly, I think he's one of the best drivers on the race track, day in and day out. Sure, people make mistakes.
A lot of these drivers knock somebody off the track, and say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry.’ But they don’t let Logano do that. As far as I'm concerned, I'm behind him 300 percent. 

“This is not a popularity contest,” said the man they call `The Captain.’ “And anybody that thinks it is, shouldn’t be sitting here. This is racing and unfortunately, some people have different ideas. But I wouldn’t trade these two drivers for anyone. They’re young, they’re aggressive and they win races. They work well with the sponsors, and they’re high integrity guys, so move on from there.”

“I'll talk to Kurt,” said Penske, who ironically fielded the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil entry for Busch in 2011. “He didn't do it on purpose. At the end of the day, that's racing as far as I'm concerned. 

Busch, however, is not likely to be swayed. After Saturday’s race, he accused Logano of making “an aggressive mistake,” adding “you can't go from fifth to first. There's just no shot at it. It's a shame that we ended up spun around and wrecked. We could have come out of here with the point lead." 

No matter whose side you’re on – and there are plenty of observers in either camp --  it looks like ever-smiling Joey may have to watch his back again in coming weeks, once again worried about an unhappy rival exacting his pound of flesh.

It’s a scenario he is rapidly becoming accustomed to.

 

 

 

27 comments:

  1. Brad K. used to drive like that until he got the "Edward's Treatment". That seemed to have knocked some sense into Brad. Maybe that's what Joey needs.

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    1. Anonymous6:35 PM

      Do you mean when Carl went psycho and sent Brad flying through the air at Atlanta? If ever there was an act that deserved a massive suspension, it was that one. However, the consistently inconsistent and corrupt NASCAR did nothing. That didn't teach Brad a lesson (he didn't need one); it simply showed the world that Carl Edwards has mental problems.

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  2. Logano and Kozlowski feed off each other's arrogance and being a fan of whatever it takes with no regard for other drivers and people in general. They have been but buddies since before Logano left JGR and so long as they have each other to snuggle up and cuddle with after doing whatever they are happy.

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    1. Anonymous6:37 PM

      Wow, Steve, once you graduate from fourth grade, you'll be a great writer. You can't even spell Keselowski in your letter? You're a class act!

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    2. Haha.... Like I care how you grade my grammar and spell check.... Please Mr Anon feel free to correct and grade this which is simpler to understand. Joey and Bad Brad have decided to drive without regard for other drivers opinions and or safety. They developed an abnormally close relationship while Joey Boy was still with JGR. Joey then wondered why while he was snuggling up with Brad, the other JGR team members did not open up to him with loving arms and whatever Brad opened up to him. Now, Bad Brad has a sugar daddy in the little rich boy and the two are inseparable and becoming more and more alike as married couples and pets and owners do. I hope this meets your standards Mr Anonymous and you get the drift.

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  3. "Aggressive mistake" seems about the right take on it. I think Kurt would have had a whole lot more to say (or do) had it been a true "dumping". Logano was on 4 new tires and it was the last 2 laps at a plate race.

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  4. Joey will get dumped hard a couple of times by different drivers before it sinks into his thick skull !

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  5. You in the media WANT and NEED adversarial controversy in order to have story lines. TrueX promised to race Joey hard like he races others but nothing has panned out. Now you hope Kurt Busch give better odds at retaliation, again to keep a storyline like this afloat is all you're after.

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    1. LOL, yeah, that's what keeps the big bucks rolling in to GodfatherMotorsports.com!

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    2. Anonymous11:03 AM

      Maybe not in your blog but the desire to manufacture a story and then doing so certainly helps the ratings on your radio show, and the ratings of NASCAR on TV and the radio. Kurt handled the situation perfectly. He gave a clear interview, and was controlled. Something he has learned from dealing with the "back biting media" in the past.

      Hey Dave, noting that the NASCAR HoF is for champions do you think Kurt will make it in? Gonna be a first rounder, second, third? He's only finished in the top 10 42% of the time he has raced in the Sprint Cup Series roughly the same as Dale Jr. and has 2 more wins in 1 less year of time behind the wheel. I'm sure Jr. will be in it. I ask as he gets little to no media coverage anymore even when he is in the top 4 in points. Seems like there might be a slant. Ya know since he's only had 14 top 10 finishes in 17 races this year. If one of the drivers you and your buddies in the media "push" was doing the same thing you and the rest of the "bent" media would be heaping the praise on him and that team.

      You and your buddies' lack of coverage for Kurt (except when there is manufactured controversy) speaks volumes about what you seek to relay to the NASCAR fan.

      Oh, and no I don't expect you to publish this. Just like you wouldn't publish my Tony Stewart post. You have to run for cover when you are faced with facts and protect those you like while serving up those you don't in the hope it drives ratings.

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    3. Man, educating you is becoming a full-time job! There are no "ratings" for satellite radio. I get paid the same whether you listen or not. And apparently, you're not listening, since we talked about Kurt a lot yesterday!

      Also, what kind of knucklehead spends 10 minutes writing a snarky reply that he believes will never be posted? That's a special breed of special, right there!

      And finally, your previous comments on Tony Stewart were not posted because they were slanderous and totally lacking in provable fact. It's my website, and we're not going to do that here. Feel free to start your own blog and slander anyone you like. Make sure you've got a good lawyer, though. There are laws governing that kind of thing.

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    4. Anonymous6:59 PM

      Dave:

      How disingenuous and leading your comments are:

      Point one:
      You must mean that there isn't a Neilson ratings for satellite radio. However, we both know that Sirius Radio can pull up the amount of listeners that your show has at any given time. After all it is how radio spots are bought. NASCAR radio has spots on it. Somebody is buying them. They wouldn't do it if you were reaching someone.

      Secondly, you just glossed over that whole NBC/Fox TV ratings issue didn't? Yeah, just don't talk about that.

      Thirdly, you failed to even speak about MRN's radio ratings.

      Controversy sells, it means clicks on websites, viewers, and listeners. Maybe not your little insiginifant one but Fox Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN Sports, and yes even Deadspin all want clicks. Hey, ya think Lee Spensor wants clicks on any column she writes? Gee, I bet she does. Gee Dave, what do clicks mean? Oh, that's right advertising dollars.

      You can edit this part out -
      Lastly, ask Tony the next time you see him why he sought the help of Mark Bryant in Paducah. Since ya know, I couldn't possibly bring any facts to the table.

      Ta Ta

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    5. I know exactly what I'm talking about. You -- on the other hand -- do not. There is NO ratings system in place for satellite radio. We know how many subscriptions have been sold, but there is no way of knowing how many people are listening to SXM NASCAR Radio at any given time. Sorry to bust your bubble, Mr. Expert!

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  6. I think it's a product of restrictor plate racing. Cars close up faster due to the Draft and are unsteady in the turbulence and intentionally driving through someone at 200 mph at a restrictor plate race is totally insane.

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  7. Anonymous2:27 PM

    It's been over 2 decades now since the driver of the Kodak number 4, Swervin' Ernie Irvan, found himself in the same predicament as Joey. And to this day what he did to smooth matters amongst his fellow competitors has to be regarded as one of NASCAR's greatest "man-up" moments when he took the podium at the DieHard 500 driver's meeting and apologised for crossing the line.

    I think it's time Joey did the same. I like Joey and I believe much of the resentment towards him comes from his rise from the ashes since leaving Gibbs and joining Penske but that's really not the gist of the matter here. He too needs to "man-up" before matters get even worse. It worked for Ernie. I see no reason why history couldn't repeat itself.

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  8. Of course the Captain will defend him. Who else would though? It doesn't mean he's right. Joey and Brad feed each other's arrogance. And since Joey thinks he never does anything wrong, he'll never apologize like Ernie did. I love what Matt did last year, though it may be time for another lesson.

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  9. Anonymous6:41 PM

    Penske's correct; there have been aggressive drivers for many, many years, yet everyone gets their panties in a bunch when one of the Penske drivers is aggressive. Any of these crybabies would race the same way in the same situations. NASCAR has a problem: There are far too many emotionally stunted, psychologically disturbed drivers like Stewart, Harvick, Busch (both), and Kenseth in the sport; they can dish it out, but they can't take it...a bunch of babies!

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  10. As far as what Tony Gibson said, how many times has Kurt done stupid things on and off the racetrack. A simple case of the pot calling the kettle black.

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  11. Anonymous3:39 AM

    I find it very interesting Kurt and his crew chief whine of foul play, intentional no less! Bullies calling out the current chump (in their eyes Logano). Kurt you have had your times at plate races and nobody called you out by name. Did we hear Casey Mears and Carl Edwards bitch on TV about Tony S. Or other guys complaining about Jamie Mac? Come on man, this witch hunt to get your name in the media. It is just as bad and calculating as to what the Red Hat Club is doing. Logano was pushed around, said nothing, then he said something (and he was whining, according to drivers who admitted to dumping him on purpose!) Yes look it up! Now he is aggressive and he is gets all sort of complaints, BUT NOT OTHER DRIVERS????? HYOCRITES, look at your own highlight reels, and that includes fans. The media is making something that isn't there. Sorry, it just isn't,other than salivating affirmation for the jealous. Really pathic Kurt doing what he did, he would not have done that to one of his older "peers". Roger is correct, 100%

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  12. It is symptomatic of a larger problem in the sport - the unprofessionalism of so many "star" drivers. Kurt Busch and Joey Logano's rap sheets are so long it's not even a debatable issue - both are reprehensible racers who have a lot of talent.

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    1. Anonymous4:59 AM

      Please provide the "reprehensible" that Logano DID, when he was the one punted, rammed and crashed on purpose his fellow drivers admitted it freely with glee. You can't. So stop. Kurt on the other hand....

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  13. Hey Moody. You guys did a truly outstanding job Saturday night. I wanted to watch the race and listen to it on Sirius/XM, but radio broadcaster was 4 minutes behind time. The broadcast or my ISP. Thanks.

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  14. Why couldn't he go from 5th to 1st? He was hauling the mail, I'm sure if the roles were reversed we'd hear, we were on our way from 5th to 1st and that knucklehead blocked us. I have no dog in the fight, I gave up rooting for individual drivers a long time ago.

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  15. The problem is NOT Logano wrecking people. Everyone wrecks everyone, even at this level. The problem is Logano not talking to drivers he wrecks.

    Tom Logano ran interference for Joey for a long time, now it's Roger Penske. When is Joey gonna stand up for Joey to drivers?

    Listen, Dale Sr. wrecked EVERYONE. But he manned up and talked to the guy he wrecked at some point to smooth over the situation. That's what needs to happen, & it's surprising a seasoned owner/driver like Penske doesn't recognize that.

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    1. Anonymous5:01 AM

      Who has come over and talked to Logano? NOBODY and that is a bona fide fact. They however thru out the years delighted and boasted of wrecking him. As for the Tom Logano thing, give it up..he has zero baring on what happens on the race track.

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  16. Anonymous5:21 PM

    Joey,

    Kurt will knock you on your behind faster than Matt Kenseth tackling you. Eventually you're going to piss someone off and they aren't going to just talk about it they're going to ruin your championship chances. Oh wait that already happened and you still didn't learn.

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    1. Anonymous5:04 AM

      Like Roger said, when it is everybody else than Logano or Kes, it is a verbal ooopppss, and these guys get the thrid degree, with everyone. If you stop and thought about that (most of us know this) a light bulb might go off. Why if they are racing they are held to some standard? Another race another "Top tier" driver does its the same, it is RACING DEAL, WHICH IT IS, but when Team Penske does it, good grief the sport is in a state of decline. Come, on man....think.

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