Joey Logano has upset plenty of NASCAR fans through the years. See supporters of Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, and William Byron. But those were for his on-track actions.
The two-time Cup Series champion recently added the rest of the sport’s fanbase to his list for his remarks during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
“Our fans are spoiled,” Logano bluntly said during his ‘Behind the Wheel’ segment on the The Morning Drive. “And I love our race fans but think about other sports for a second. Think about it. When are you going to meet an NFL player. Can you access an NFL player? Anytime like three hours before a game? No.”
👀 “Our fans are spoiled.”
Do you agree with @joeylogano?
More of his thoughts available right now on the @SIRIUSXM App 📲
🎧 → t.co/oek7E77UMS
“Well, maybe if you’re Taylor Swift,” show co-host Mike Bagley jokingly interjected.
“OK. Maybe if you’re Taylor Swift,” Logano laughed in agreement. “But you can meet me 20 minutes, 10 minutes, five minutes before I get into the race car. You can take a picture with me. I am there. And all the other racers are the same thing.
“We walk down the red carpet. And there is people on both sides of us and all of the drivers stop and sign autographs, or at least try their hardest to, right? It’s hard to get everybody but you try your hardest to. That is the norm in our sport. That doesn’t happen in any other sport, at all.”
Joey Logano Upset Fans Earlier in 2023 by His Position on NASCAR Format Change
Joey Logano is accurate in that some fans do receive special access, but it’s very limited. While it’s more than the NFL and other sports, as he mentioned, most fans don’t have that opportunity.
Interestingly, those remarks aren’t the first time in 2023 he said something during his weekly appearance on SiriusXM that agitated a large number of fans. On the September 12 visit, after NASCAR announced it was reverting to the pre-2023 road course format and re-introducing cautions during stage breaks, the Penske driver took a position many fans opposed.
.@joeylogano is happy that stage break cautions are returning for the @CLTMotorSpdwy ROVAL ⬇️
🧠 “I think it’s a no brainer […] I wasn’t a fan of it when they took them away in the first place.”
More → t.co/oek7E77UMS
“I’m good with it. Go for it,” Logano said. “I just think it presents more strategy options. If you looked at Watkins Glen, and it’s like, here’s the strategy, and this is what we’re going to do. There’s hardly any cautions anymore, so it turns into an F1 race. Just meh. Just not good enough.
“Shoot! Throw some cautions in the dang thing. Like, reset or re-rack them, and let’s go again. The way it was, you have a mistake on pit road, or as a race car driver, there’s zero chance of recovery. Zero, without a caution. I know it’s a race and you’re supposed to be perfect and all that, yeah. But let’s just think about the entertainment factor of this whole thing a little bit, too.”
Michael McDowell responded to Logano and spoke on behalf of many fans.
“Some like it because it gives them an opportunity to make something happen on a restart, like stuffing it 5 wide, bumper car style,” McDowell wrote on X, alluding to what Logano had done on multiple occasions in the past. “It also erases the time gap lost on track due to the lack of actual speed. It gives the guys who can’t run up front all day a shot at it.
“Indoor karting is entertaining, too. Entertainment is subjective, so I am good if the fans want it, but is that what the fans really want?”
Logano Went Ballistic and Took Shots at Track Workers During Pocono Race
What’s interesting is Logano also made headlines in 2023 for his choice of words when he blasted track workers during the July 23 race at Pocono. It happened when the No. 22 suffered minimal damage in a Stage 2 crash, but still required towing back to the garage, which caused additional damage to the vehicle that sent the driver into a rage. And it was all captured over the in-car camera audio.
@Jordan_Bianchi Yikes. Should go listen to this full time
“What’s the f****** truck doing? What’s the truck? Who the f*** is that? Come here!” Logano shouted at a worker standing nearby.
“What do you want?” the worked asked the driver.
“Push this thing out!” the Team Penske driver ordered.
“We’re pushing,” the voice replied.
There are several seconds of inaudible communication.
“Come here. Come here. I can’t drive it,” a calmer Logano said. “I need a tow truck. Tow me in. Pick it up!” the driver commanded.
“Lift it up,” the voice repeated.
“Pick it up,” Logano confirmed.
“Godd*** it! Stupid sons of b******!” the frustrated driver said to himself.
Fans might not like that Logano thinks they’re spoiled, but at least he’s not calling them names.
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Joey Logano Fires Harsh Shot at NASCAR Fans, Calling Them ‘Spoiled’