Things Could Get Heated Between Joey Logano and Chase Elliott at NASCAR’s Championship 4
Joey Logano and Chase Elliott aren’t exactly the best of friends on or off the NASCAR racetrack. The two have gone back and forth all season long, and of course, they both find themselves in the hunt heading into the Championship 4 at Phoenix.
After a string of events that culminated in a fiery controversy last Sunday at Martinsville, racing fans need to keep an eye on Logano and Elliott when they gear up for the Season Finale 500 this weekend.
Joey Logano and Chase Elliott have a shaky history
The feud between Joey Logano and Chase Elliott can be traced back to May of this year. Down the stretch of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Logano and Elliott crashed out of contention, causing them to fall back and finish 21st and 22nd, respectively, in the race.
After the race, Logano didn’t mince words about his thoughts on the crash.
“He wrecked me,” Logano said. “He got loose underneath me. The part that’s frustrating is that afterward a simple apology — like be a man and come up to someone and say, ‘Hey, my bad.’ But I had to force an apology, which, to me, is childish. Anyways, man, we had a good recovery with our Autotrader Mustang and had a shot to win. That’s all you can hope for. I passed him clean. It’s hard racing at the end, I get that. It’s hard racing, but, golly, man, be a man and take the hit when you’re done with it.”
The two bumped heads again in September after Logano blocked off Elliott out of a restart during the South Point 400 in Las Vegas. After the dust-up, Elliott was heard on radio with his team saying, “Make sure the nose (of my car) is OK from that dips*** up there.” His team responded, “He needs to get sent sooner or later,” referring to Logano.
Logano and Elliott clash again at Martinsville
During last Sunday’s race in Martinsville, Logano and Elliott again got into it on the track. Logano got dangerously close to Elliott and rubbed tires with his No. 9 car during Stage 1 of the playoff race, and Elliott’s team wasn’t happy about it.
“He’s a f***ing hack,” Elliott’s crew chief Alan Gustafson said. You can also make out a call to “wreck him here and next week.”
Elliott went on to win the race to secure his spot in the playoff finale this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Logano also qualified for the Championship 4 race, which sets up a highly anticipated event led by two of the biggest rivals in NASCAR this season.
Buckle your seatbelts.
Logano and Elliott will duel for the NASCAR Cup Series title
After a long, eventful season, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series will come to a close this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Logano and Elliott headline the Championship 4 race, and they’ll be joined by Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin.
Only Logano and Keselowski have hoisted the NASCAR Cup Series trophy during their careers, but it’s anyone’s race come Sunday.
Besides the sparks coming from all four cars in Phoenix, expect some fireworks if rivals Logano and Elliot are jostling for the lead late in the race. Who will get the last laugh after a season filled with controversy between the two?
