Joey Logano, the veteran driver for Team Penske Racing, recently broke his silence on the heavy criticism he faced following his involvement in one of the most talked-about incidents of the 2025 Daytona 500. The crash, which occurred with about 20 laps remaining in the race, led to a multi-car wreck that drastically altered the outcome of the event. However, instead of solely accepting blame for the incident, Logano has pointed the finger at fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., shifting some of the blame to a late block made by Stenhouse during the race.
The Daytona 500, the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series, is always highly anticipated, and this year’s edition did not disappoint in terms of drama. The race was filled with several wrecks, each of which had a significant impact on the race’s outcome. William Byron, who ultimately won the race, capitalized on a last-lap wreck to secure back-to-back victories. However, the most significant wreck was the one involving Logano, which occurred much earlier in the race, causing major disruption.
The incident began when Logano, who was attempting to overtake Stenhouse, encountered a late block from the Hyak Motorsports driver. This unexpected move set off a chain reaction, causing multiple cars to be involved, including those of Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliott. Logano, as one of the main parties involved, was subjected to intense criticism from both fans and analysts alike. However, ahead of the upcoming race at Atlanta, the defending Cup Series champion has come forward with his own explanation, asserting that Stenhouse’s late block played a significant role in causing the wreck.
In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Logano explained his side of the story. He acknowledged that the move he and Stenhouse made was intended to secure track position and move into a better spot in the race, but Stenhouse’s block, according to Logano, came too late. “Ricky’s block was a little late, right? I checked up for that,” Logano explained. He went on to describe how he had assumed that Stenhouse would go back up to the third lane after the mistimed block, but instead, Stenhouse veered in a way that left Logano stuck in the middle of the pack. This, Logano claims, is where everything went wrong, leading to the subsequent chaos and wreck.
Logano’s version of events makes it clear that he feels he had no opportunity to avoid the crash. He stated, “I couldn’t get out at that point. I couldn’t line back up, I couldn’t get out. I was kind of stuck. And that’s what caused the wreck.” Logano believes that the situation was a result of a series of unfortunate circumstances, and that the late block from Stenhouse played a major role in the wreck, ultimately leading to the end of his race and the races of several others.
However, Stenhouse has also weighed in with his own take on the situation. The 2023 Daytona 500 winner acknowledged that he made a mistake while trying to block Logano, and he admitted that his failure to accurately judge Logano’s position played a part in the incident. Stenhouse explained that when he looked up, Logano was higher than he had expected, leading him to attempt a block to secure a better line for the draft down the backstretch. He explained that he thought Logano was simply in line and did not anticipate Logano’s position, which led to the two drivers running out of room, ultimately causing the wreck.
Stenhouse’s comments offer some validation to Logano’s claims that they were both victims of circumstances. He admitted that there was a misjudgment in the heat of the moment, which led to the incident. While Stenhouse took some responsibility for the mistake, both drivers agree that it was the result of a combination of miscommunication, misjudgment, and bad timing. Ultimately, both drivers are aware that lessons need to be learned from the situation, especially as they prepare for future superspeedway races such as the upcoming event at Atlanta.
The Daytona 500 wreck and the ensuing aftermath have added an interesting layer to the ongoing dynamics between Logano and Stenhouse. The two drivers have now seen firsthand how quickly things can go wrong on the track, and they will undoubtedly take these lessons with them in the future. As for Logano, the criticism he faced following the incident was tough to bear, but his recent comments suggest that he feels the blame is not entirely his to shoulder. With the season progressing and the races ahead, the focus will now shift to whether both Logano and Stenhouse can put this behind them and move forward, learning from their mistakes to avoid similar incidents in the future.
As the NASCAR Cup Series heads toward Atlanta and other superspeedway races, fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how the dynamics between the two drivers evolve. For Logano, the pressure is on to redeem himself and prove that his position as defending champion is well-deserved. Meanwhile, Stenhouse, with the burden of being partially at fault for the Daytona 500 wreck, will look to bounce back and show that he is capable of handling high-pressure situations with precision.
In the world of NASCAR, where split-second decisions can determine the outcome of a race, both Logano and Stenhouse are aware of the need for improvement. With the rest of the season still ahead, it remains to be seen how these two drivers will handle the challenges they face in the races to come, both on the track and in the court of public opinion.
