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Joey Logano urges John Hunter Nemechek to ‘be man enough’ to own his mistake for stage-3 wreck

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Justin P Joy | Last updated 3/11/24

Team Penske Racing’s two-times championship-winning driver Joey Logano had yet another disappointing day on Sunday. He ended the day on P34, after a stage 3 wreck forced him to retire from the race due to damages. Logano was seemingly furious with John Hunter Nemechek who was the reason for the race-ending wreck.

Nemechek made contact with Logano from behind and sent him up the wall. Fortunately, the No:22 Penske Ford didn’t collect any other car on his way up to the outside wall from the inside. Both drivers had a different story on who to blame for the incident. Nemechek pointed out that it was No:22 slowing down that caused the issue, while Logano believes he was taken out from behind.

After getting cleared from the infield care center, Logano spoke to the media and claimed that he was unnecessarily taken out from behind and the Legacy Motor Club driver has to own up to his mistakes. Logano didn’t slow down, but he was lifting in the corner. Instead of doing the same Nemechek kept on the gas.

I didn’t slow a bit. Well, you gotta lift to make the corners, Bob. You can’t hold it wide open around Phoenix and maybe he should take a look and realize he can’t do that too. He drove straight in the back of me and he needs to be man enough to own up to that.
Logano told Fox Sports.

John Hunter Nemechek has owned his mistakes

After the race, Nemechek listened to Logano’s words and revisited the incident, he understood it was his mistake and told the media that he would reach out to Logano and Team Penske to apologize for the incident. He reiterated that it was entirely his mistake and didn’t happen because Logano slowed down as he initially thought.

I want to apologize to Joey (Logano) and those guys. I’m going to reach out to Joey. I’ll probably reach out to Paul Wolfe and Roger Penske. I guess just misjudged it. I hit the brake pedal pretty hard, and it didn’t really slow down and I got in the back of him. It’s my fault. I made a mistake and I’ve got to learn from it, and own it. Nemecheck said.

While the beef between the two can be settled easily, Logano has a lot of other things to be concerned about. He hasn’t been able to produce a signed good race so far this season as he has gotten caught up in the incident multiple times so far this season. Logano now has to quickly get over it to challenge for the title.