About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joey Logano has been upside down at Talladega twice in his NASCAR Cup Series career. After Sunday's frightening crash, the three-time champion believes it's time to address what keeps putting drivers in those situations.
And he doesn't think the solution is making superspeedway racing less competitive.
During a recent appearance on "SPEED" with Will Buxton , Logano called for NASCAR to find a way to make its cars more stable when drivers push one another in the draft.
His argument was straightforward: The racing is already entertaining. The violent accidents shouldn't have to be part of the attraction.
Logano's concerns followed a terrifying accident with six laps remaining in Sunday's YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
While running near the front of the field, Logano received a push from Carson Hocevar as the outside lane closed on Ross Chastain. The contact unsettled his No. 22 Team Penske Ford, sending him into the outside wall.
A subsequent collision with Chase Briscoe sent Logano's car onto its roof. He slid upside down along the frontstretch before safety crews eventually turned the vehicle upright.
Logano escaped without a reported injury, but the accident reinforced his concerns about the current generation of Cup Series cars.
On "SPEED," he explained that Hocevar had actually been pushing him effectively before the crash. The problem was how little room there was for error.
"And then, you know, one bad push is all it takes. It just takes one," Logano said.
That's the issue he wants NASCAR to address.
Bump drafting is essential to racing at Talladega and Daytona, where drivers depend on one another to build momentum and advance through the field. But a poorly timed push can quickly turn a promising run into a multicar accident.
Logano believes the cars need to tolerate that contact better.
Logano also challenged the idea that spectacular crashes are a necessary part of superspeedway racing.
"The racing is so good we don't need the crashes," he said during his "SPEED" appearance. "If you're a fan that enjoys that, I don't know if I like you. I don't know if you should cheer for people possibly getting hurt."
It's a distinction worth making from someone who has won three times at Talladega.
Logano isn't arguing against close racing, aggressive moves or drivers taking chances. He's questioning why the consequences of a mistimed push can be so severe.
Sunday's accident also involved Riley Herbst , whose No. 35 Toyota struck the inside SAFER barrier in a particularly violent impact. Both drivers were evaluated and released from the infield care center.
Logano has credited NASCAR for the safety improvements that helped protect him during his latest rollover, particularly compared with his previous Talladega flip in 2021.
But surviving a crash and preventing one are different challenges.
For Logano, the next step is finding a way to preserve everything that makes superspeedway racing compelling without making drivers quite so vulnerable when the bumpers meet.
Source: Sports
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