Joey Logano started the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway in 23rd place, but crashed with John Hunter Nemechek on lap 206 and ended the day in the garage.
Nemechek’s contact with Logano sent Team Penske’s No. 22 car into a spin, recovering Josh Berry, Corey Lajoie, Derek Krause and Zane Smith in the process. Logano took a few licks from another car, but managed to get out of the car and get into an ambulance to be 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, who was released from the infield care center. Nemechek said on the radio with his team that he felt Logano slowed down, but he didn’t mean to hit him.
“I didn’t slow him down. Well, when you turn a corner, you have to lift yourself up,” he told FOX Sports. “You can’t keep it flat out around Phoenix. Maybe he should take a look and realize he can’t do that either.
“He ran straight into my back. He should be man enough to admit it.”
Christopher Bell returns for victory at Phoenix Raceway
Joey Logano was in charge of the turns at the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. (Joe London/The Republic/USA Today Network)
Logan finished 34th in the race. He was one of four drivers who did not finish the race. The others were Lajoie, Krause and Austin Cindric.
The 2024 Cup Series season got off to a rough start for the two-time champion.
His 34th place finish at Phoenix was the third time this year he finished outside the top 25, following his 32nd place at Daytona and 28th place at Atlanta. He was looking to build momentum from his ninth-place finish in Las Vegas last weekend, but disaster was inevitable.
Drivers compete for position in the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, on March 10, 2024. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Logano and the rest of the Cup Series head to Bristol. The spring race, which has been held on dirt for the past few seasons, will once again be held on concrete. He finished 34th in last year’s season-ending Bristol race.
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