Joey Logano not focused on infamous Martinsville crash one year later

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Joey Logano has returned to the scene of the crime, so to speak, on the one-year anniversary weekend of his infamous incident with Matt Kenseth.

But Logano said Friday at Martinsville Speedway he’s not going to spend too much time dwelling on the past.

“You’re never going to erase it from your mind — I’m not going to lie to you and say that,” Logano said. “I will say I’m not going to focus on it. That’s a distraction from what my main goal is, which is to win. If I can use it to motivate me, I’m going to use that to help me win. But that’s going to be it.”

Last year, Logano looked like the car to beat in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He had just swept Round 2 of the playoff when he rolled into Martinsville and started from the pole position.

But on lap 454, as Logano was leading his race-high 207th lap, Kenseth decided to take revenge from a pair of perceived slights. In retaliation for an incident at Kansas Speedway and one earlier in the day at Martinsville, Kenseth intentionally wrecked Logano in Turn 1 — as fans cheered loudly — and essentially ruined Logano’s title hopes.

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Logano failed to win either of the next two races, and his Chase was over. Meanwhile, Kenseth was suspended for an unprecedented two races.

But as he’s passing Turn 1 this weekend, Logano said he won’t be thinking about the incident.

“If I think about that as I’m turning into Turn 1, I’m probably going to hit the wall just like that,” he said. “That would be pretty distracting. This track can sneak up and bite you pretty quick. I have to be focused on how to go fast. I won’t think about that the whole time I’m out there — I promise you that.”

Though Logano doesn’t enjoy talking about the incident, the Team Penske driver was prepared for questions about it Friday.

“I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to get this question,” he joked with reporters, laughing. “Who would have seen that coming, right? Way to step outside the box.”

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