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SPORTS A21
Thursday 5 November 2015
NASCAR suspends Matt Kenseth for 2 races
JJENNA FRYER made sure it was enforced. In this Nov. 1, 2015, file photo, Joey Logano (22) and Matt Kenseth (20) tangle in Turn 1 during the
AP Auto Racing Writer #freematt,” Hamlin posted NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. It’s the wild west
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — on Twitter. in NASCAR right now, and it’s not clear if that’s good or bad for this championship battle. Drivers
Looking to squash any no- Kenseth was nine laps are doing whatever they have to do to make it to the finale, to mixed reactions.
tion that the drivers are down at Martinsville Speed-
running amok on the track, way when he deliberately Associated Press
NASCAR suspended Matt drove Logano into the wall.
Kenseth for two races Tues- The crash was payback for Logano on purpose. he left Joe Gibbs Racing Kevin Harvick didn’t get
day for intentionally wreck- Logano wrecking Kenseth “I ain’t going to argue with — Kenseth took his ride — out of the way two weeks
ing Joey Logano in an act three races ago in an inci- what Matt did, Matt felt like and went to drive for Roger ago at Talladega when his
of retaliation that dramati- dent that ultimately led to he was justified with how Penske in 2013. After sev- engine was failing because
cally changed the lineup Kenseth’s elimination from Joey wrecked him at Kan- eral run-ins in which older he knew a poor finish would
of drivers in the running for NASCAR’s playoffs. sas and then was arrogant drivers appeared to bully knock him from the Chase.
the championship. Kenseth fumed about the about it afterward,” said Logano a bit, he matured But by holding his position,
The penalty levied against Kansas Speedway incident Dale Earnhardt Jr. “That and learned to stand up for he caused a race-ending
Kenseth is fairly unprece- for two weeks and exact- was really what got under himself. crash that had conse-
dented. Drivers have been ed his revenge as Logano Matt’s skin more than any- Logano called Sunday’s quences for other drivers.
suspended before for on- was dominating at Martins- thing, about how Joey was wreck “a complete cow- The reigning series cham-
track actions, but typically ville. A victory would have arrogant about it. When ard move, especially for pion was not punished by
only for one race and the earned Logano a spot in you damn wreck a guy, a championship race car NASCAR even though sev-
policy has not been uni- the Nov. 22 title-deciding admit it, you know? Don’t driver and race team.” eral drivers said Harvick’s
form. finale, but he is now last in wreck Matt Kenseth, I’ll tell Kenseth maintained he action was deliberate. Har-
NASCAR said it punished the eight-driver field with you that right now. Do not had to do something to vick admitted he did what
Kenseth because he had two races remaining as he wreck that boy.” avoid losing respect in the he had to do with his sea-
no chance at winning and tries to advance. Kenseth’s peers consider garage. He also noted son on the line.
intentionally altered the Logano had won three him a fair racer who fol- that Logano has been the After Kenseth wrecked Lo-
outcome of Sunday’s race. straight races before Sun- lows old-school beliefs strongest driver over the gano on Sunday, Kenseth
NASCAR also said it fac- day’s on-track showdown about on-track etiquette. last month and still has two teammates Kyle Busch and
tored aspects of safety in with Kenseth. He had said Logano, the reigning Day- races remaining to recover Hamlin had pointed views
penalizing Kenseth as well earlier he wasn’t worried tona 500 champion, has from Martinsville. on the current climate.
as “the fact that the new about retribution, even struggled with some of his “He’s got a couple races Busch alleged there are
Chase elimination format though most of the indus- fellow competitors. At just left, he’s got the best car, different rules for different
puts a premium on each try believed Kenseth would 25 years old and in his sev- he might get a couple of drivers, while Hamlin said
and every race. These ac- not let the issue fade. enth full season, Logano wins here and still have a NASCAR leadership had
tions have no place in NAS- Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR has rankled some veterans shot at it,” Kenseth said. allowed the drivers to be-
CAR.” champion and a two-time with a perceived lack of The incident raised ques- come the “wild, wild West.”
NASCAR chairman Brian Daytona 500 winner, was respect to the way things tions over what is accept- France told Sirius XM NAS-
France earlier indicated a racing for a victory he have always been done. able given the heightened CAR radio the sanctioning
tough penalty was in works needed to advance in the Still, Logano has made stakes of the Chase elimi- body will correct the cur-
because the series can’t Chase for the Sprint Cup tremendous strides since nation format. rent climate.q
allow a driver to think the championship. Logano
way to “pay back some- chased him down even
body for something that though he had already ad-
happened is take matters vanced to the next round.
into their own hands.” Kenseth blocked Logano
In addition, Danica Pat- several times in an effort
rick was fined $50,000 and to stave off a pass for the
docked 25 points for inten- win, and Logano finally just
tionally wrecking David Gil- moved Kenseth out of his
liland earlier in the race. way. The contact caused
Joe Gibbs Racing immedi- Kenseth to crash.
ately said it would appeal Logano shrugged it off as
for Kenseth, and teammate hard racing and denied
Denny Hamlin decried the deliberately wrecking the
severity of the penalty. Joe Gibbs Racing driver.
“Thought it was pretty clear Kenseth said the Team Pen-
from drivers’ reactions ske driver was lying, and he
after the race that Joey had support throughout
broke driver code. Matt the garage after wrecking
