Joey Logano says he’s moved past Matt Kenseth intentionally wrecking him last year at Martinsville

It was one of the most nefarious acts in NASCAR history, something that will be replayed an infinite number of times.

Unfortunately for Joey Logano, he was on the wrong side of what transpired when a vengeful Matt Kenseth deliberately wrecked him last October at Martinsville Speedway. That Logano was leading at the time and in position to clinch a spot in the championship round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, while Kenseth was multiple laps behind, only added to the unseemliness of what occurred.

But as the Sprint Cup Series heads to the Virginia short track for its annual fall playoff race, the first of three events in the Chase’s semifinal round, Logano is going to look forward and not back. He is one of eight drivers still title-eligible and looking to qualify for the four-driver championship race Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“If I can use it to motivate me, I’m gonna use that to help me win,” Logano said Friday at Martinsville. “But that’s gonna be it.”

Kenseth piledriving Logano into Martinsville’s Turn 1 was retaliation for a series of incidents between the two. Most notably, Logano spun Kenseth out of the lead with six laps remaining at Kansas Speedway, two races before Martinsville, which effectively eliminated Kenseth from the second Chase round.

Kenseth and Logano had also been involved in an accident earlier in the day at Martinsville that caused Kenseth to crash. Upset with what he perceived to be Logano’s lack of respect, Kenseth returned to the track with a damaged car then intentionally veered into Logano with 56 laps left.

When Logano failed to win the next two races, he was eliminated from the Chase. As for Kenseth, NASCAR suspended him an unprecedented two races.

“You’re never gonna erase it from your mind. I’m not gonna lie to you and say that,” Logano said. “But I will say that I don’t focus on it. If I focus on it, that’s a distraction of what my main goal is, which is to win.

“If I’m thinking about that as I’m turning into Turn 1, I’m probably gonna hit the wall just like that because I would be pretty distracted. This track can sneak up and bite you pretty quick and you have to just be focused in. I won’t think about that the whole time I’m out there, I can promise you that.”