Joey Logano started the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway in 23rd but ended his day in the garage after a crash on Lap 206 with John Hunter Nemechek.
Nemechek made contact with Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske car spun around and collected Josh Berry, Corey LaJoie, Derek Kraus and Zane Smith in the process. Logano took a few licks from the other vehicles, but he managed to leave his car and walk into the ambulance to get checked out.
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Joey Logano during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 9, 2024, in Avondale, Arizona. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Logano called out Nemechek after he was released from the infield care center. Nemechek said on his radio with his team he felt Logano slowed down and he didn’t mean to hit him.
“I didn’t slow him down. Well, you gotta lift when you make the corners,” he told FOX Sports. “You can’t hold it wide open around Phoenix. Maybe he should take a look and realize he can’t do that, too.
“He drove straight in the back of me. He’s to be man enough to own up to that.”
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Joey Logano takes the turn during the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. (Joe Rondone/The Republic/USA Today Network)
Logan finished 34th in the race. He was one of four drivers who didn’t complete the race. LaJoie, Kraus and Austin Cindric were the others.
It’s been a rough start to the 2024 Cup Series season for the two-time champion.
The 34th-place finish at Phoenix was the third time this year he finished outside of the top 25. He was 32nd at Daytona and 28th at Atlanta. He was trying to build some momentum off a ninth-place finish at Las Vegas last weekend but couldn’t avoid the wreck.
Drivers fight for position in the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 10, 2024, in Avondale, Arizona. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Logano and the rest of the Cup Series head to Bristol. The spring race is back on concrete after being on dirt the last few seasons. He finished 34th in the late-season Bristol race last year.
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