Race Weekend Central

Logano, Koch Okay After Vicious Talladega Crash

If the start-finish line at Talladega Superspeedway was located in the same area of the track as Daytona International Speedway, then Joey Logano would have been the winner of Saturday’s Sparks Energy 300. Instead, Logano was left climbing out of a wrecked racecar after contact with eventual winner Elliott Sadler.

Logano was leading the field as they approached Talladega’s tri-oval on the final lap when Sadler attempted a move on the outside of Logano’s No. 22 Discount Tire Ford.

While Logano was able to fend off the initial challenge, Sadler responded by attempting to dive to the bottom of the track and get under him. The move failed, and the two drivers made contact, hooking Logano and sending him spinning to the inside.

Logano then bounced off of Sadler, and was sent careening into the outside wall at speeds in excess of 100 mph.

What followed was a vicious hit for Logano into the wall, followed by a head-on hit from Kaulig Racing’s Blake Koch, who was running mid-pack.

Thankfully, both drivers were checked and released from the infield care center after the race.

“We crashed pretty hard,” said Logano to FOX Sports after the incident. “It is just typical superspeedway racing … racing for the win at the end. I know Elliott is a great speedway racer and he knew what he had to do to win the race, and I knew I what I had to do to try to keep him behind me.

“He went to make the move on the top and then he pulled it down to the bottom and got underneath me, and then I was a little late to the block. He was already there. Around I went and hit a bunch of other stuff along the way.”

Koch was credited with a 24th-place finish, while Logano’s day ended in 27th.

About the author

A graduate of Ball State, Aaron rejoins Frontstretch for his second season in 2016 following a successful year that included covering seven races and starting the popular "Two-Headed Monster" column in 2015. Now in his third year of covering motorsports, Aaron serves as an Assistant Editor for Frontstretch while also contributing to other popular sites including Speed51 and The Apex. He encourages you to come say hi when you see him at the track.

Sign up for the Frontstretch Newsletter

A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.

5 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
kb

What about Joey Gase? That to me was a nasty,nasty wreck.

Ken

As is so typical of anything involving Joey Logano, the morons are out in full force, at least on a couple of other sites. It’s one thing not to like a driver, but to say that Joey got what he deserved, and wishing that he should have been hurt, as a few people have posted on those other sites. One idiot even said he was disappointed Joey wasn’t killed, but, I looked back this morning and that comment had been deleted. But, I guess that’s the way it is today. Some drivers are untouchable where they can do anything, and don’t dare criticise them (Saint Matt comes to mind), while it’s open season on other drivers who can’t even bump someone without open season being declared.

Maybe it’s time for Amy Henderson to reprint her article she wrote where she condemned fans for cheering Jimmie Johnson hitting the wall at Charlotte, then booing him when Johnson got out of the car

Bill W.

Nascar is the problem! They say they want to make racing safer , move the start/finish line back to the tri-oval.

Share via