Matt Kenseth says Joey Logano is ‘lying’ about spinning him out at Kansas

Matt Kenseth doesn’t want hear Joey Logano explain he didn’t mean to spin Kenseth during the final laps of last week’s race at Kansas Speedway. No matter what Logano says, Kenseth remains adamant what did Logano did was deliberate, unjustifiable and done because he wanted to win the Hollywood Casino 400.

“Some day he might mature a little bit,” Kenseth said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. “But, first of all, he should have stopped running his mouth and No. 2, he’s lying when he said he didn’t do it on purpose because he lifted [my] tires off the ground offset to the left and he’s too good a race car driver to do that by accident.”

Kenseth was leading when Logano, running second, tapped his left quarter panel entering Turn 2. The contact turned Kenseth around and allowed Logano, who also won the week prior at Charlotte, to claim a second consecutive victory. Meanwhile Kenseth finished 14th, failing to secure a victory he needed to clinch a spot in the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He now needs to win Sunday at Talladega to avoid playoff elimination.

Logano described the incident as hard racing and his actions were a byproduct of Kenseth blocking him when he attempted to complete a pass high into Turn 3. Kenseth stunted Logano’s momentum by moving up the track, which caused Logano to brush the wall.

Kenseth takes exception with Logano’s assertion that Kenseth’s blocking was the catalyst for what ensued. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver contends that as the leader he has the right to the preferred groove into a corner over the second-place car.

“Somebody trying to keep their position if they’re leading a race, that’s their job is to try to get in the lane you’re in especially when you’re not even up alongside of somebody,” Kenseth said. “You know that’s kind of your job to try to find out where there’s the most grip, find out where he’s working and try to find that grip for yourself and try to get away and try to get the win.

“When somebody is up alongside you, you can’t run somebody in the wall or run them down to the infield because you’re going to get wrecked or cause a wreck. It’s certainly your job to keep your car in front of somebody else’s.”

The two have not spoken and Logano has made no effort to reach out, Kenseth said.

NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France defended Logano’s move in an interview on Sirius XM Radio Monday, calling it “quintessential NASCAR.”

“Late in the race, I think that’s a great example of everybody doing probably exactly what they should be doing,” France said. “You had Matt Kenseth trying to block and hold his position. He had a faster car behind him, and when you block, you risk that somebody is going to be in that position.”

When asked for a response to France’s comment, Kenseth took exception.

“I don’t know what (quintessential) means, I wasn’t very good in high school,” Kenseth said. “I barely made it through Cambridge High School (Wis.) so I’d have to Google that word first. Once I learn what that means, then I can probably answer that better.”