Joey Logano Gets Aggressive and Takes Next Gen Testing to Another Level When He Practices Blocking on Kevin Harvick
Joey Logano has a reputation in NASCAR circles as a driver who isn’t afraid to throw a block. Unfortunately, his decisions have sometimes resulted in disaster, like at last year’s Daytona 500.
With the 2022 Daytona 500 just a few months away, the 2018 Cup Series champion joined numerous other drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway to test the Next Gen car. While most of the runs throughout the two days consisted of single cars, a pack of Fords took to the track for the second day of testing. For the Team Penske driver, he viewed it as an opportunity to test out all of his skills, including throwing a block on Kevin Harvick.
Joey Logano blocked his teammate at 2021 Daytona 500
At the start of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Joey Logano upset Penske teammate Brad Keselowski during the Busch Clash at Daytona when he blocked Kyle Busch multiple times before Busch and Logano made contact and collected Keselowski.
“Just got wrecked for no reason. Dumb, dumb racing,” Keselowski bluntly said after the race.
Fast-forward to the 2021 Daytona 500. Logano headed into the race’s final lap in the lead, with Keselowski tight on his rear bumper. As the Penske cars made the final turn on the backstretch, a cluster of cars behind them plotted a move to pass. However, Keselowski made the first move and dropped on the inside underneath Logano. The No. 22 car responded and attempted to block his teammate. That’s when all hell broke loose.
Logano’s car dove to the left toward the infield. Keselowski turned hard to the right into the outside wall, collecting multiple cars in the process. Michael McDowell, who rode in third, split the middle and was in front when the caution came out. He won the race.
Unsurprisingly, Keselowski was unhappy. Logano admitted a couple of days later that the two weren’t on talking terms.
Joey Logano blocks Kevin Harvick during Next Gen testing
With the Next Gen car making its debut at the 2022 Daytona 500 in just three months, NASCAR is in overdrive, testing the car so drivers can get comfortable and teams can work out the final kinks before the season-opening race.
After the first day of testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the single-car testing resulted in spins by Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin and a crash by Austin Dillon, the overwhelming sentiment in the garage was the cars were undeniably harder to drive than the Gen 6 cars.
On the second day, teams got a little more adventurous and started testing in packs. Among the drivers in a group of Fords were Logano, his Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, former teammate and new RFK driver Brad Keselowski, and Stewart-Haas driver Kevin Harvick.
During the run, Keselowski remained out front with the other cars changing positions. At one point, Logano followed Keselowski and went high into turn 1 with Harvick close behind. When Harvick dropped down low to make a move, Logano went with him. The move killed Harvick’s momentum, resulting in a loss of speed, and it allowed Blaney to easily pass on the outside.
Has a history with Harvick
While it is just testing, the move was interesting if for no other reason than the history between Logano and Harvick. Back in 2010, after Harvick dumped Logano multiple times, the younger driver delivered one of the more memorable quotes in NASCAR history: “His wife wears the firesuit in the family, tells him what to do, so it’s probably not his fault.”
The pair had another incident in 2015 but have steered clear of each other since.
Interestingly, just last month NASCAR President Steve Phelps appeared on the I Am Athlete-NASCAR podcast and said when Logano gets inside the No. 22, “he doesn’t give a s***.”
Most thought that statement applied to races. Apparently, it applies to testing as well.
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