Joey Logano questioned the style of racing at Talladega Superspeedway after going airborne in a crash on the last lap of the opening stage Sunday.
Logano, running third, was hit by Denny Hamlin after Hamlin was struck by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The contact turned Logano and his car went airborne in front of the field. Logano’s No. 22 Ford flipped and skidded on its roof before rolling back upright and sliding into the grass.
Logano was uninjured but raised questions about the pack racing common at Talladega and Daytona International Speedway. He also referenced Ryan Newman‘s crash in the 2020 Daytona 500 when Newman’s car was sent into the wall, went airborne and was struck by another car. Newman was hospitalized two days and later returned to race last year.
“I guess I don’t know exactly what to think,” Logano told Fox after exiting the infield care center. “It is a product of this racing. On one hand, I am so proud to drive a Cup car that is safe, and that I can go through a crash like that and get out and speak about it. On one hand, I am mad about being in the crash and on the other, I am happy to be alive.
“On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not okay. I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don’t feel like that is acceptable.
“A lot of it is the big spoiler and the big runs and all the pushing. It is nobody’s fault. Denny (Hamlin) is trying to go and (Stenhouse) is trying to go. It is a product of this racing. We have to fix it though. Someone already got hurt and we are still doing it, so that’s not real smart.
“At the same time, I am appreciative of driving a car that is this safe and what Team Penske has done for the safety of these cars so that I can live to talk about it and go again. I got lucky that I didn’t get hit while I was in the air.”
Matt DiBenedetto won the stage.
