Joey Logano: I would be a ‘hypocrite’ if I blamed Denny Hamlin for racing aggressively

When Denny Hamlin’s audacious three-wide pass attempt failed last week at Kansas Speedway, it left a wake of damage cars, including those of Kyle Larson, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski.

But Logano wasn’t bothered by Hamlin forcing his way in between Larson and Keselowski, which created an air disturbance that sent Keselowski spinning down the track and Hamlin up into Larson and blocking the path of Logano, who slammed into Hamlin’s car.

That move Logano respected because Hamlin was racing for the win with only a few laps remaining and he would have done the same thing had the opportunity presented itself.

“When Denny made that move I didn’t blame him,” Logano said Friday at Dover International Speedway. “He made a run on the backstretch and had to do something with it. He got in a bad aero spot and both of them got loose. It happens. It is racing.”

Because Hamlin won the season-opening Daytona 500, he is a virtual lock to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. With his playoff spot essentially guaranteed, Hamlin acknowledged immediately after the wreck that he was willing to attempt a risky pass because he had nothing to lose.

Logano admits he can be aggressive behind the wheel, a forcefulness that has drawn the ire of several competitors in recent years, including Hamlin and Matt Kenseth. With no plans to alter his driving style, Logano believes it would be hypocritical of him to blame Hamlin for doing something similar.

”I feel like I am one of the hardest races out there and I would be quite the hypocrite if I asked why he was racing so hard. If you ask me, that is what fans show up to the race track to see. They come to watch a race. They expect us to race.

“I am going to race hard. I know that. I have done that in the past and I will continue to do that.”

If Logano had his druthers, more drivers would race aggressively and not be concerned with the repercussions. That mindset prompted Kenseth to retaliate against Logano, who spun Kenseth out of the lead with three laps remaining last fall at Kansas. Logano went on to take the victory, while Kenseth was effectively eliminated from the Chase.

Two races later, Kenseth deliberately wrecked Logano at Martinsville Speedway, a race Logano was leading while Kenseth was multiple laps behind. NASCAR issued Kenseth an unprecedented two-race suspension.

“Early in my career I would say I wasn’t a very aggressive driver and I didn’t win much,” Logano said. “I kind of found that technique and what that is for me to be able to race. There is a time and a place for it. Some moves like that early in the race and you may say, “Why did you do that?’ But the fact of the matter is with 30 [laps] to go you gotta race. That is part of it.”