NASCAR, over the years, has made major strides in terms of driver safety. Yet, there’s one key aspect of the sport that has taken a back seat and it’s respect. Following the “bad boy” Kyle Busch‘s open comments about the sport’s current blemish that sparked widespread debates, Busch’s former rival, Joey Logano, reflected on NASCAR’s current state. This time, he sided with his foe.
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While Rowdy put on a serious face, slamming his fellow drivers for their lack of respect on the track, Logano, on the other hand, sent out a sharp warning in lieu of his ugly tussle with former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin in 2017.
Joey Logano sends out a stern warning amid the chaos on tracks
The recent Cup Series races have been witnessing an alarming trend and it’s something the organization has to take into serious consideration. Driver etiquette is one key aspect of the sport that has seen a stark decline over recent years. From drivers viciously wrecking each other on the track to pit-lane altercations, NASCAR’s dramatic stints over time have turned nasty and ugly with drivers in each other’s faces in total disregard.
While fans love these extra layers of drama and action, the old-school virtues of the sport certainly have lost its values. Many veteran drivers have been vocal about it. Team Penske driver and the reigning Cup Series champion, Joey Logano also opened up about his take on the matter and the driver has kept it rather simple.
“To me, it’s simple right? Everyone talks about this unwritten rule of driver etiquette and what is that and everyone probably has a different one, to me, it’s you wreck me, I wreck you back,” said Logano. Reflecting on the early days of his career, a time when he was known for his ruthless aggression, Logano cited how the sport has changed, “I came in against the guys that are established, that have been there for a while, they have this give-and-take rule that you know in restarts they weren’t like going 3-4 wide, they weren’t making the big bold moves.”
Joey Logano on Denny Hamlin crash: You wreck me, I wreck you back pic.twitter.com/8bCm69jaZv
— Graham Bensinger (@GrahamBensinger) June 23, 2023
With blocks now being an integral part of the game and sport embracing the good-old bump-and-run tactics, the 33-year-old veteran also briefed about the drastic changes. He said, “Now its accepted, you throw a block, I say, okay you threw a block, no big deal, right? Its the game has changed. So, a lot of the off-track, post-race altercations go away because its accepted a little bit.”
As Graham Bensinger retweeted a clip of the 4-month-old interview, the conversation still has precedence, much like his rival, Kyle Busch’s sharp comments.
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Former rivals put aside their differences on grounds of “lack of respect” among drivers
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There have been widespread criticisms of the current state of NASCAR. From flimsy rule changes to drivers’ uncalled aggression, the sport indeed is on a decline in that aspect. Just recently, the community saw another instance when HMS ace Chase Elliott deliberately wrecked Denny Hamlin, viciously slamming the #11 driver headfirst into the wall. While this may be the most latest example to cite, take a closer look and you’ll be shocked to see a rising pattern that obviously points towards the lost virtues of the sport – sportsmanship and driver etiquette.
A few months earlier when drivers were wrecking each other left and right, Richard Childress Racing sensation and arguably one of the sport’s most popular drivers, Kyle Busch came out with bold remarks as he slammed the “lack of respect” between drivers.
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Mentioning their brief stint in 2017, though Busch started on the offensive, pointing out Logano’s action, Rowdy said, “Now you’re going down the path as we have completely lost any sense of respect in the garage area between drivers at all and that’s where the problem lies.” As he mentioned the greats of the sport including Mark Martin, Tony Stewart that stood and upheld the etiquette of the sport, Busch vented out his frustration.
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