Joey Logano takes jab at NASCAR after Iowa race
Joey Logano and Team Penske had a great evening at Iowa Speedway, but the No. 22 wheelman was far from satisfied with the racing conditions at the track.
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion finished P6 on Father’s Day, a much-needed top-ten as Logano currently finds himself on the outside looking in of the playoffs. Still, he seems to be inching closer and closer to finding that win that’s eluded him thus far in 2024.
While the P6 finish was something to be proud of, Logano was filled with jokes regarding Iowa Speedway’s re-pave after the race. The Team Penske wheelman wondered whether NASCAR ran out of funds, not time, as they’ve told the racing world all weekend.
“I mean, I would — I think it would be better, if they re-paved the rest of it,” Logano stated, speaking with FOX’s Bob Pockrass following the race. “Because at no point does the track have more than two-and-a-half lanes, three lanes. Like, it’ll never be wider, the way it is, ever, ever. So I would probably just do the rest. You don’t have to do the whole race track. You know, you could keep the straightaways the way it is, that’s fine. I would probably just bring it to where it all ends at the same point, off the corner, and maybe just do the rest to the wall.
“It’s kind of like, I don’t know, it looks like they ran out of money. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know the story or what happened, but I felt like, what’s two more lanes? I don’t know.”
The Iowa Speedway re-pave was subject to immense controversy throughout the weekend, but it did lend itself to some awesome racing on Sunday. Perhaps Joey Logano can use his performance to get a victory this weekend, as the Cup Series moves to New Hampshire on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin calls for NASCAR to make one change following race at Iowa
Meanwhile, the first-ever Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway could have gone better for Denny Hamlin. It was a struggle all night for the NASCAR veteran. Even though it was a less-than-ideal result, Hamlin had good insight on what should be done to the Iowa track in the future.
After the race, Denny Hamlin was asked about what NASCAR and Iowa Speedway could do to improve for a potential race next season.
“I think there would be probably nothing but positives if you did repave the very top because it would have a little more grip yet and it would force us to want to go even higher,” Hamlin said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “Which would then allow cars to run the middle or the bottom to get away in clean air. So, I think finishing the paving job probably would net a better result next year.”
Alas, the racing was great. Even with the turns being re-paved unevenly, things went smoothly. Drivers came and went. Fast cars were able to pass. Both Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson moved up through the field from the back to the front.
Regardless, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano would like to see some improvements in 2025, as it pertains to the re-pave of Iowa Speedway.
On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.