“I’m sick of paying the price.” Joey Logano was about to execute a flawless Martinsville weekend until Ross Chastain came his way. The Team Penske driver fell in the middle of an exchange of blows between Chastain and Chase Briscoe. However, Logano deemed it right that Chastain was to blame, given the long history of aggression. This was not received well by the Trackhouse Racing driver, but Logano did not care.
Ross Chastain has hardly been devoid of controversy this season. Back in the COTA race, the No. 1 Chevy bizarrely ran into Chase Elliott’s No. 9 on the first lap, costing the latter a front-row advantage. With his track history lingering in Logano’s mind, the latter is still sticking to his Martinsville diatribe.
Joey Logano cites tense past
Well, Joey Logano and Ross Chastain do not have a very bright past. Back in 2021, a few aggressive blocks and a lengthy pit-road conversation took place between the two at Kansas Speedway. Besides that, the two drivers have had a quiet on-track relationship. The Trackhouse driver said in a dumbfounded way, “I am confused by what he said.” According to Chastain, Briscoe was not trying to engage in a conflict with him. Instead, he insisted that Logano hit his car harder than he intended to. Chastain vehemently defended himself: “Pretty disappointed to hear a guy like that, his caliber, his experience, just blast that stuff out there.”
However, Joey Logano stuck to his “He races just like a jacka–“ allegation from last weekend. Although a week has passed since the Martinsville race, Logano is still thinking about the Paperclip at Darlington Raceway. During a pre-race presser for the Goodyear 400 race, journalist Toby Christie let Logano know about Chastain’s ‘confused’ comments. Logano declared that he is not shifting his stance. “Sounds about right… Yeah, there’s always a back story, right? It’s not just one occasion. That’s usually what happens.” Logano was thinking about what happened earlier this season. During the 2025 COTA race, Logano felt Chastain forced another car into making contact with the No. 22 Ford.
Logano even mentioned the repetitive nature of Chastain’s antics during his rant at Martinsville. “Twice in the last three weeks, so that’s the deal,” said Logano. The #22’s gripe with Chastain clearly stems from a history of incidents. Something larger is brewing, and if anything happens at Darlington, it feels primed to erupt.
Ross Chastain said he was confused that @JoeyLogano blasted him in interviews after Martinsville and hoped that Logano would change his mind after watching things back. Safe to say, that Logano feels the same this week. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Mesm3OdDAc
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) April 5, 2025
Clearly, the Martinsville fiasco is still lingering in Joey Logano’s mind. After Chase Briscoe sent Ross Chastain into the No. 22 Ford, he had to make up for his lost sixth position. Yet the Team Penske driver did a good job, and that balanced his emotions. He led 13 laps and that ranks him second in laps led this season. A stage win and an 8th-place finish made him glad: “A pretty solid car, and then something happens. Overall, I feel the guys gave me a really fast Shell/Pennzoil Mustang, one that was possible to win with if we got the track position. We went for that stage win early in the race in Stage 1. I think that was the right call. We got ourselves back in the ballpark there, and the long haul was pretty good.”
For now, Joey Logano is drumming up anticipation for the Darlington race. Before the Cup Series event, he appeared for his fans.
Trying to shift into a new mood
Well, Ross Chastain’s comments may not have been enough to appease Joey Logano. But the three-time Cup Series champion is trying his best to calm down in other ways. Ahead of the Goodyear 400, he made a pit stop at the new Hang 10 Car Wash in Summerville on Thursday. It was a meet-and-greet with fans, and Logano was happy to attend it.
He said, “This is the second one I’ve done with Hang 10. This one means a little bit more because I’m a partner in this location, so it’s exciting to see it complete. It’s fun to see everybody as well. We’ve got some great fans.” The first among the NASCAR fans was Lewis Harper, who moved to the area five years ago from Connecticut. Having a checkered flag tattoo on his arm, the diehard fan confessed: “Been a Joey fan since he started running modifieds back in Connecticut (in the early 2000s).”
Speaking of the older era of NASCAR, Joey Logano can look forward to something interesting for Throwback Weekend. The 2024 Cup Series champion will be wearing the colors of a former legend of the sport. Cale Yarborough, an 83-time Cup Series race winner, will get a tribute from the Team Penske fold. The No. 22 Ford will sport a look that was last on display in 1976. The older Yarborough car was not sponsored by Shell Pennzoil. However, the older number fonts and word-marks help sell the ’70s look. So, sporting a snazzy retro look will surely help Logano’s car stand out in Darlington.
With fans and a classy paint scheme perking up his spirits, Joey Logano may get through the weekend without a burst of tempers. His tiff with Ross Chastain is yet to be resolved, so we can only wait and see what will happen. Do you think the two will get into it at Darlington? Let us know in the comments!
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