Hamlin: Lapped Logano “very generous to me” but not Elliott
Sunday night NASCAR Cup Series winner Denny Hamlin says he had no problem lapping Joey Logano in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but admits Logano didn’t play the same with Chase Elliott.
Photo by: NASCAR Media
Logano was taken out of the recent race at Bristol by Elliott. Although they discussed the incident afterwards, Logano said he had to “force an apology” from Elliott, which clearly irked him.
Logano suffered damage in a pitroad incident in the opening stage at Homestead, which damaged his Penske Ford and put him off the leading pace. He had already hit Elliott from behind when he was a lap down at Turn 3, and when Elliott came up to lap him for a second time, Logano wouldn’t give up the lane he wanted to pass him.
That cost Elliott crucial momentum, and allowed Hamlin to get a run and overtake him for the lead. Hamlin, who Logano didn’t resist, went on to take the win, with Elliott finishing a close second.
Elliott stonewalled questions on Logano’s driving, twice saying: “I just need to get through lapped traffic better.”
After the race, when asked what he saw of what happened, Hamlin said: "I'm sure that Joey probably ran him pretty hard there. I think most people would, given the Bristol situation. You almost as a driver kind of got to expect it.
“I don't think it cost Chase the win. We had already ran him down. Yeah, we were in the middle of battling him, but I don't think it cost him the race. Maybe, maybe not. It's all speculative.
“You kind of have to ask Joey. The way I saw it, he was very generous to me. That's all I know. I appreciated that. I don't think he really ran Chase hard; he just didn't let Chase clear.
“If Chase could have cleared him... I don't think he really held him up, he just didn't give him the spot.”
Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Photo by: NASCAR Media
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