Motorsports

“Pissed off” Joey Logano calls out Bell, ‘gimmick’ All-Star Race caution

Joey Logano did not go and win back-to-back in the NASCAR All-Star Race, but he certainly gave it everything he had. The Team Penske driver was in control of the race until the promoter’s caution was displayed with just under 40 laps to go. The controversial new rule for this non-Championship points exhibition race allowed […]

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1 month ago

May 19, 2025

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The controversial new rule for this non-Championship points exhibition race allowed for the race promoter to throw one caution, whenever they want, between Lap 100 and 220 in the 250-lap event.

Logano ended up finishing second to Christopher Bell, and he wasn’t too thrilled with him or Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith.

“I’m glad you had a blast,” Logano told a NASCAR on FOX reporter. “I’m pissed off right now. Just dang it, we had the fastest car. The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was so fast. You get to — I’m trying to choose my words correctly on the caution situation. Obviously I got bit by it, so I am the one frustrated obviously.

“Gosh, I don’t know. I felt like the falloff wasn’t too bad as the sun went down, and yeah, six cars or so stayed out with us. Thought maybe we could hold him off but the 20 [Bell] had a good enough restart, cleared too many of them too fast. I couldn’t get away in time. It took me six, seven laps to get my car up and rolling again.

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

David Jensen / Getty Images

Logano continued, struggling to hold back his annoyance. “I did all I could do to hold him off and he got under me and released the brake and gave me no option. Kind of just ran me up into the wall, and if I could’ve got to him, he was going around after a move like that, I just couldn’t get back to him. Just too much to try to make up with the tire deficit.

“Just frustrated after you lead so many laps and the car is so fast and you don’t win, it hurts quite a bit.”

In a later media scrum, Logano spoke more about Bell’s race-winning move. “It is what it is,” said Logano. “I don’t know. I mean, sure. Sure. He did it good enough that I couldn’t get back to him because I was gonna show him what fair was, but I just couldn’t get there. I just couldn’t get there with the tires. I couldn’t get away fast enough. It took me six or seven laps after that restart to get rolling again and then he passed too many cars there the first couple laps and then he was there. I was doing all I can to play defense until my rear tires would come in and it just took too long, and then he was gone. I couldn’t catch back up.

“It’s frustrating when you lead that many laps, you had the fastest car and a gimmick caution beats you. It just sucks, but it is what it is. You move on and we’ll be happy that we had the best car the last two times that we’ve been here. I wish we had two wins, though.”

When the promoter’s caution flew (via Michael Waltrip, who actually dropped it on the race track), most of the field pitted for fresh rubber. Logano was among five drivers who chose to stay out on old tires, hoping to hang on.

“I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution,” said Logano, who chuckled as he said it, but the frustration was clear in his voice. “I am all about that. I’m a little — me and Marcus Smith aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, okay? I’ve got to have a word with him.”

James Gilbert / Getty Images

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

James Gilbert / Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photos from All-Star Race

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Chad Finchum, Power Source Ford

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Toyota

Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford

General view

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

General view

General view

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

General view

Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Austin Cindric, Team Penske Ford

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

General view

General view

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Joe Gibbs and Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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