Check out Joey Logano's interview with ESPN's Marty Smith

 

  In his first on-camera interview since the controversial ending to the March 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Fontana, Calif., driver Joey Logano appeared on the 6 p.m. ET edition of ESPN SportsCenter in an exclusive interview with ESPN lead NASCAR reporter Marty Smith.

   Some quotes from the interview:

    MARTY SMITH -- How did what happened at Bristol impact your relationship with Denny Hamlin?

    JOEY LOGANO – Well, you feel like you got done wrong, alright? You know got spun out. So it doesn’t help that relationship, obviously. And yes, did I remember who I was racing against? Yes. Obviously I know who I’m racing against and what happened a week before but going into turn three on the last lap, I remember ‘I’m going to win the race.’ My number one goal is to go win a race. So did I intentionally wreck him? No, I did not intentionally do that. If I was going to do that I would have hit him in the left-rear tire. I hit him in the door. It’s hard racing at that point. I hate that he got hurt. I feel like the comments after the race that I made were taken way out of context. My mind wasn’t straight and I didn’t know Denny was hurt. There was no way for me to know. And it got taken way out of context.

    SMITH -- I talked to Carl Edwards once couple of years ago in an interview like this and he told me that you have to stand your ground as a race car driver …

    LOGANO – Yeah you have to stand up for yourself. We’re racing against the same people every weekend and you have to put your foot down and show them that you’re out here to win a race, you’re out here to stand strong and you’re doing that for your whole team.

    SMITH -- What’s it like to hear from a peer (Tony Stewart), a guy that you previously … took his car, ok, that got you into the Cup Series, say, it’s, quote, a rich kid who never had to work …

    LOGANO – You can say it the same way as my comments made after my race – heat of the moment. Our sport, we don’t have time to take a deep breath, give me 15 minutes to regain my thoughts, and what the heck just happened, and let me watch a replay and see all this. I’m the same Joey Logano I’ve always been. I’m still happy-go-lucky. I’m very competitive. That’s never going to change, you know what I mean? I’m still who I’ve always been. But I don’t get walked on.

One UNC Charlotte student's road to NASCAR

 

 
   Ryan Bennett, a freshman from Crownsville, Md., hopes to use a victory in the annual Michael Waltrip Racing Competition as a chance to establish a career in NASCAR, whether it's as a driver or working with one.

       You can read about his journey here.

Was Fontana the best race Joey Logano has driven in his NASCAR career?

   Neither Joey Logano nor Denny Hamlin took home the trophy at Fontana, but former NASCAR Cup champion and current Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip thinks Logano gained some confidence and respect he had been lacking the past couple of seasons.

    “That was the best race I’ve seen Joey drive,” Waltrip asserted. “He was aggressive and drove like he really wanted to win. I’ve seen him drive many races in which it seemed he left something on the table, but he didn’t at Fontana. Drivers in the past have taken advantage of him and he didn’t do much about it.

    "But he’s with a new team and has a pretty fast car this year, so it seems like he has found a new confidence he didn’t have at Joe Gibbs Racing. I think he realizes now is his time and he needs to take advantage of it, and we’ve seen that in his driving.”

Meet your favorite NASCAR Truck Series drivers at The Rock

   Fans hoping to get to meet their favorite NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers will have the opportunity to do so on Saturday, April 13 at Rockingham (NC) Speedway.

    The speedway will hold a driver autograph session that morning from 10:15 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. by the famous rocks by the main entrance of the track.

    The autograph session is open to anyone holding a ticket for Saturday's or Sunday's races.

    "We had such a great turnout with last year's autograph session, that we had to do it again," said Rockingham Speedway President Andy Hillenburg. "The autograph session is a great time for fans to come out and meet their favorite drivers before the racing action gets underway."

    There will also be a "Tweet Meet" Sunday morning at 9 a.m. outside of the track for the NASCAR Twitter community. More details will be available on Rockingham Speedway's official Twitter @RockinghamSpeed as the race approaches.

    Tickets are available by calling (910) 205-8800.

Guess which NASCAR driver's car will be at the White House Easter Egg hunt?

   This year’s 135th Annual White House Easter Egg Roll will kick off Monday, April 1 with Roush Fenway's No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion featured at The Ellipse in the nation’s capital. NASCAR star Carl Edwards drives the No. 99 in the Sprint Cup Series.

   The 2013 Easter Egg Roll, which takes place on the South Lawn of the White House, is focused on promoting health and wellness with the theme, “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!” The event features live music, sports courts, cooking stations, storytelling and, of course, Easter egg rolling. The activities encourage children to lead healthy, active lives in support of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative.

   “It will be an honor to have the No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion on site at the White House,” said Pat Resch, Fastenal’s VP of Marketing. “We’re looking forward to being a part of this Easter tradition and presenting the Fastenal brand to 30,000-plus attendees.”

Brian Vickers will now sub for Denny Hamlin in four races

Statement from Joe Gibbs Racing:


         Joe Gibbs Racing Announces Brian Vickers Will Drive No. 11 FedEx Camry in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Beginning in Texas

 

Mark Martin Remains Behind the Wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota in Martinsville

 

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 29, 2013) – Joe Gibbs Racing announces today that Brian Vickers will take over behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the injured Denny Hamlin starting on April 13 at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

It was previously released that Mark Martin would handle the duties behind the wheel for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team while Denny Hamlin recovered from injury. Martin will drive the car in Martinsville, but Vickers will now take over the duties beginning in Texas.

 

 “Obviously having to find someone to fill in for Denny is not an ideal situation to have to be in and when you start a process like this you obviously begin to look at the drivers that are not only available but also able to drive for your race team and manufacturer. We were a bit premature in determining Mark’s status past Martinsville however,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We're real happy to have the opportunity to get Brian in our Cup cars and with him driving Nationwide for us we think we have some continuity there that is beneficial.

 

“We really appreciate everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota for working with us through this process,” added Gibbs. “The good thing for us is that we have drivers the caliber of Mark and Brian to help fill in until Denny comes back.”

 

Vickers is currently driving JGR’s No. 20 Dollar General Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He has recorded two top ten finishes through the first five races of the season.

 

Vickers has 264 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts over his 11-year career on the sports’ top level. He has two wins, 24 top-five and 63 top-ten finishes. He has one start thus far this season having finished eighth in at Bristol Motor Speedway for MWR. Last season, Vickers made eight starts for MWR with three top-five and five top-ten finishes.

 

 

Felix Sabates: Tony Stewart is one of the best rear view mirror drivers

   Felix Sabates, part owner of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, said he was surprised with NASCAR driver Tony Stewart's reaction to Joey Logano after Sunday's race and a little taken aback by some of his comments.

    "Tony is a great champion and one of the most competitive drivers of all time, tough as nails and fun to watch him race, plus Tony is a real nice man, I love his driving style. Tony is one of the best blockers - rear view mirror drivers - in all of racing. Hell, Tony threw a block in Talladega last year and took out 17 cars from the race, that is racing, did Tony forget that? I am sure he has not forgotten that one. Ryan Newman, his driver, is one of the hardest guys to pass. They all are doing what they get paid to do. Tony was hot after the race and I am very sure had he finished in the top 5, he would have patted Joey in the back and would have told him “good job kid.” Unfortunately for Tony he finished in the back of the pack. Surely he can’t blame Joey if he was passed by 20 other cars? Tony was trying to snooker the kid by going below the yellow line to pass, all the kid did was go down there and protect his position," Sabates said.

    Sabates called Stewart's "rich kid" comments about Logano "unfair."

    "Someone please answer this to me, is it a crime for your parents to have wealth and help their children realize their dreams? No it is not, no matter how much money anyone might have, no one CAN BUY a premier Sprint Cup ride with two of the best teams of all times Gibbs and Penske. These two great car owners are very proud competitive people, Gibbs a Super Bowl multiple winner, and Penske a winner at every level of racing as well as a winner well respected icon in the business world. Joey has a lot of talent. If his father helped him along with his racing career, what is different than Richard Petty helping Kyle, and then his grandson Adam, or Bobby Allison helping Davie, or Buck Baker helping Buddy, or Coo Coo Marlin helping Sterlin, or Bill Elliot helping his son, and now Richard Childress helping not one but two of his grandsons? I think it is ridiculous that anyone would make comments about a father helping a son or a daughter. Lots of today’s drivers will see their children racing in NASCAR. Would someone please tell on what book did they read that it is a sin to help your children career? My sons are too old, but if any of my 6 grandkids want to go racing and I see they have talent, heck yes, I will help them get there."