The echoes of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s lenient stance for Joey Logano, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion, still linger after the recent Shriner’s Children 400. Logano, driving the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, was hit with a restart violation soon after the race began. This led to a pass-through penalty from NASCAR, pushing him to the rear of the field.
Earnhardt Jr. and others were left puzzled by the seemingly trivial nature of the offense. Logano had fought tooth and nail to secure a front-row spot alongside William Byron. For his efforts to be undone at the very first lap, seemed harsh on NASCAR’s end. However, a top official from the sport stepped up to justify the penalty.
The 2025 season is only a month old and NASCAR has faced a barrage of criticism. Controversial calls like the inconsistently applied green-white-checkered flag in Atlanta, or the lack of suspension for Austin Cindric’s right hook, have not been well received. The latest controversy unfolded at Phoenix Raceway with Logano at the center. The Team Penske driver, who is no stranger to controversy himself, was defended by his Cup Series colleagues, including Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt Jr. criticized NASCAR’s decision as overly meticulous and argued that Logano gained no advantage from his action. However, Mike Forde, NASCAR’s Managing Director, dismissed such concerns in a recent episode of ‘Hauler Talk.’ He confirmed that the penalty rules were clearly communicated in the drivers’ meeting, calling it a “black-and-white penalty foul.”
To elucidate, Forde referred to Alex Weaver’s rules briefing which stated, “For the initial start and for all restarts, stay in your lane until you cross the start-finish line. The front row establishes the lanes. And the inside lane must be established above the inside painted line.” Even though Logano wasn’t flagrantly breaking the rule, Forde insisted it was a foul, comparing it to a footballer stepping out of bounds.
Forde didn’t miss the opportunity to praise Logano’s resilience after the penalty. He commended the Penske star’s ability to harness Goodyear’s softer tires and recover to a respectable 13th place finish. However, this justification failed to satisfy some of the NASCAR veterans, including Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick.
The primary criticism NASCAR faces is its inconsistency. The 2024 Damaged Vehicle Policy incidents are a prime example. Despite Josh Berry and Ryan Blaney being forced to bow out due to flat tires and on-track incidents respectively, NASCAR permitted repairs to Chase Elliott and others’ cars following a major collision. This inconsistent ruling stirred a tempest of controversy.
This inconsistency was the crux of Harvick’s ire regarding Logano’s Phoenix penalty. He pointed out the lack of action for Denny Hamlin’s restart violation in the 2024 Richmond race. Harvick made his sentiments clear, demanding consistency in the application of rules.
While NASCAR may need to tread carefully and provide more clarity to soothe the frayed nerves, Logano managed to turn his day around despite the penalty. As the Cup Series shifts to Homestead, all eyes will be on Logano’s performance in the face of adversity.
