Matt Kenseth deliberately pile-driving Joey Logano into the Turn 1 wall on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway was one of the more controversial moments of the season and had a seismic impact on the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff.
In-car audio reveals drivers supported Matt Kenseth wrecking Joey Logano at Martinsville
Tony Stewart was among those excited by Matt Kenseth intentionally taking Joey Logano out Sunday.
Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
But while Kenseth’s payback on Logano may have been unseemly and earned Kenseth a two-race suspension, the act of retribution wasn’t entirely unpopular. Though feelings were mixed whether Kenseth crossed a line, he did have the support of Tony Stewart and crew chief Chad Knaus who offered emphatic praise in team radio communication compiled by NBC Sports.
“Oh my god. Oh my goodness,” Knaus radioed Jimmie Johnson. “Matt just got more fans than he’s ever got in his whole life, right there. That’s awesome.”
Radioed Stewart: “That’s awesome. I mean, he didn’t take him out, he junked him.”
And there were some dissenting opinions, as well. Logano’s teammate Brad Keselowski said Kenseth’s takeout was something that would make “WWE fans happy,” with Kasey Kahne’s team making note to never cross Kenseth going forward for fear of reprisal.
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