NASCAR: Denny Hamlin, not Joey Logano, should be more concerned about revenge

Based on the happenings at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, Denny Hamlin should be more worried about revenge than Joey Logano throughout the rest of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

All the talk following this past Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series round of 8 playoff race at Martinsville Speedway has been about two drivers: Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Team Penske’s Joey Logano, neither of whom actually won the First Data 500.

It was Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. who won this 500-lap race around the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Martinsville Speedway oval in Ridgeway, Virginia, but contact between Hamlin and Logano made major headlines.

Late in the third and final stage of this race, Hamlin’s #11 Toyota got into Logano’s #22 Ford coming off of turn four, sending the #22 Ford into the wall. This resulted in one of Logano’s tires going down, which resulted in him spinning out shortly thereafter.

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Logano had to make an unexpected pit stop but still rallied to finish in eighth place, four positions behind Hamlin, the highest finishing round of 8 driver aside of Truex, in fourth.

But Logano had a bone to pick with Hamlin, and he approached him after the race to discuss it.

Hamlin stated that their discussion started out as “civil”, which new audio released by NASCAR confirms. But during this discussion, Hamlin also made clear to Logano that he knew what he was doing and was not going to apologize for it, prompting Logano to lash out and leading to the ensuing brawl among the crew members of both drivers.

Hamlin admitted that his contact was what started the whole ordeal, and there is really no debate about it when you watch the replay. Here is what he said, according to NBC Sports.

"“I misjudged. The on-track stuff was definitely my fault. There was no intention to run into him or run him into the wall or anything like that because I put myself at a pretty big risk there cutting a tire as well.“I was just trying to use all the space I could. Certainly if it was a teammate or someone else beside me or just really anyone, yeah, I probably don’t gas it up quite as soon and try to take all that space but certainly all that stuff plays its factors for sure.”"

Logano even stated that he isn’t the one who needs to be careful moving forward.

"“I have nothing to be careful about, he wrecked me. I don’t race him any differently. I am not sure he has handled this the smartest way so far.”"

Logano is a driver who is not afraid to race people how he gets raced, and considering the fact that nothing he did on the track was out of line and he is the one who got put into the wall, he isn’t the one who needs to be on the lookout for retaliation.

It may be “short-track racin’!” like Hamlin stated in mocking Logano, but that makes no difference at this point in the season.

Yes, Logano is the one who ultimately crossed the line when he shoved Hamlin. But at the end of the day, a shove isn’t going to hamper a guy’s chance to win a championship.

Getting revenge on the track, however, is, and given the fact that Hamlin already cost Logano several valuable points by putting him into the wall, Logano is definitely the one to watch in regard to revenge, especially after saying he doesn’t believe Hamlin has handled the situation in the smartest way thus far.

What, exactly, would Hamlin even be getting revenge for at this point as far as the race track is concerned? A tap on the shoulder?

Should revenge be exacted, expect it to come from the #22.

Will Joey Logano exact revenge on Denny Hamlin in Sunday afternoon’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway? This race, the second of three races in the round of 8 of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET later this afternoon.