(By Greg Engle)
Posted: Monday,September 28th, 2009
(By Sarah Farlee, Senior Staff Writer, NASCAR Daily News)
Joey Logano was wheels up early, literally.
Logano had the roughest ride of his life on lap 31 of the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. The 19 year old rookie was caught up in a chain reaction crash that sent his car tumbling several times across the front stretch. Robby Gordon, Martin Truex, Jr. and Reed Sorenson were also involved in the melee.
Logano’s tumbles began after Tony Stewart hit Lagano following a chain reaction after Logano bumped Bobby Labonte. The bump from Stewart sent Logano skidding through the wet grass and back up the track across the path of Sorenson. The hit from Sorenson sent Logano rolling. The rookie driver would exit his mangled racecar shaken, but unhurt.
DOVER, DE - SEPTEMBER 27: (L-R) Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, flips his car after he was involved in a wreck with Reed Sorenson, driver of the #43 Valvoline Dodge, Robby Gordon, driver of the #7 Camping World Toyota and Martin Truex Jr. (not pictured), driver of the #1 Vaseline MEN Body Lotion Chevrolet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 27, 2009 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
“I’m fine,” said Lagano. “It just scared the heck out of me.”
“It just startled me,” he added after coming from the infield care center. “I’m not sure I want to see a replay. It started rolling, and I was in there like, ‘Damn, please make this thing stop.’ And it wouldn’t — it just kept going and going.”
Logano was asked where this crash measured up to others in his young career.
“That was the wildest ride I’ve ever been on,” he said.
Stewart had minor damage after the contact and told his team after the incident that he had nowhere to go and that he had drilled Logano.
“I’ve never felt sicker in my life than when we hit Joey like that,” said Stewart.
Stewart would rally back to a ninth place finish, after being as low as 37th after the lap 31 incident. The top ten finish would still not be good enough to move Stewart any closer to the top of the Chase for the Sprint Cup points standings. Stewart is 106 behind Chase leader, Mark Martin.
Logano may not want to see a replay of today’s crash, but race winner Jimmie Johnson does.
“Wow. Seven times? That’s exciting,” said Johnson of Logano’s wild ride. “I can’t wait to see the clip.”
Johnson proved once again why he and his Chad Knaus led team are poised to make NASCAR history in eight short weeks. The dominating performance by Johnson sets him only 10 points back of teammate, and Sprint Cup point’s leader Martin.
“It was really what I needed today,” said Johnson, who earned win number 44 and ties Bill Elliott for 14th on the career victory list.
What Johnson says he really needs is a point’s gap between competitors, which he admits, may not be as exciting for fans. This week Johnson closed up on Martin, but Johnson says there is more work to be done.
“We’re just going to have to do what we can,” said Johnson. “There is no free lunch in this sport, and especially racing Mark Martin. You’re going to have to earn every point.”
There are still eight races left to crown the new Sprint Cup Champion. Johnson, however, is the reigning champion and chasing the Sprint Cup is nothing new. Mentally, Johnson feels he has an advantage – but anything can happen.
“It’s not to say that a first time chaser can’t win this thing,” said Johnson. “It can happen, and I’m sure at some point it will.”
“I hope it’s not this year,” he added. “I hope it’s me.”
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