Logano, Hamlin confrontation leads to crew scuffle after wreck at Bristol
03/17/13 Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano used to be teammates, but there appears to be no love lost between the two as their budding feud escalated again Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Hamlin wrecked Logano while battling for second on Lap 349 and Logano went to Hamlin’s car to talk to his former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate following the Food City 500.
As Logano got to Hamlin’s car, a scuffle ensued between Logano’s Penske Racing crew and Hamlin’s JGR team that was broken up before it escalated into a fight.
“He said he was coming for me," Hamlin said when asked what Logano said to him after the race. “I usually don't see him, so it's usually not a factor."
Logano, who was criticized by Hamlin on Twitter following the Daytona 500, believes there are issues between the two.
“If we didn’t (have issues), we do now," Logano said. “Send that message. Tweet that."
On Twitter after the Daytona race, Hamlin, tweeted to Logano teammate Brad Keselowski: “sorry I couldn’t get close to you cuz your genius teammate was too busy messing up the inside lane 1 move at a time."
Logano referenced that tweet after the race Sunday.
“That’s a freaking genius behind the wheel of the 11 car (of Hamlin) — probably the worst teammate I ever had, so I learned that now," Logano said. “He decided to run in the back of me. … I have a scorecard and I’m not putting up with that. What goes around comes around."
He later tweeted: “Hey @dennyhamlin great job protecting that genius brain of yours by keeping your helmet on."
Replaced by Matt Kenseth at JGR, Logano was enjoying the best day in his short Penske career when Hamlin got into the rear of his car, spinning him out.
“It’s Bristol, but it’s ridiculous," said Logano, who rallied back into the top six but dropped him to 17th at the finish after a late problem. “I feel like I race him clean all the time.
“I see the way he races now that he’s not my teammate, and I will race him the same way he races me."
The 32-year-old Hamlin said he didn’t mean to spin Logano.
“He pinched us up against the wall twice and really had I not checked up, he would have been in the garage anyway with no radiator in it," Hamlin said.
“It’s Bristol racing and everyone is fighting for the top. He knew he had to get to the top as soon as he could but I was up there. I did mean to hit (him), didn’t mean to wreck him. That was a mistake."
The 22-year-old Logano heard Hamlin’s response and didn’t believe it.
“Oh, OK, sure," he said. “If he didn’t mean to wreck me, he would have said he was sorry but he didn’t say that.
“It’s just frustrating for me."
Hamlin finished 23rd as he blew a tire late in the race and limped home over the final five laps.
“I meant to run in to him. I didn't mean to spin him out, but his day was fine," Hamlin said.
“He still had a bad day anyway for whatever reason. You know, we finished bad and he finished bad. It's even."
Logano didn’t feel that way, although he didn’t approach Hamlin to fight.
“I don’t want to fight people," Logano said. “I just want to talk. It just got a little worked up over there. It’s all right. They’re trying to protect their driver." sporting news