"It was time to make it stop" When Matt Kenseth justified taking out Joey Logano despite suspension

The rivalry between Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth reached its tipping point in the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series. After Logano wrecked Kenseth at Kansas Speedway, the latter returned the favor two weeks later in Martinsville. Despite this resulting in a two-race suspension, Kenseth stood by his actions.

Tensions between Kenseth and Logano began during the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas. Kenseth was driving the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and needed a win to advance to the playoffs. With five laps remaining, Logano and Kenseth were battling for the win in the final stretch. Logano spun Kenseth and went past him to win the race, placing himself in the running for the playoffs.

The feud reached its peak at Martinsville Speedway two weeks later. Logano, driving the #22 for Team Penske, led the race and looked to book his place in the Championship 4. But Kenseth, who had already been involved in a wreck, made deliberate contact with Logano and sent his Ford into the barrier. This ended the race for both the racers and hurt their championship hopes.

But Kenseth defended himself in an interview with the Associated Press:

"I really stand by my actions. I feel like there's a breaking point. It wasn't just about being mad; it was about getting this fixed. It was time to make it stop."

While a section of fans supported Kenseth after the crash, NASCAR gave him a two-race suspension for his intentional response. Kenseth argued that there had to be respect in the garage among drivers and that he would have become a 'doormat' if he didn't stand up for himself and retaliate.

"At some point, in my opinion, you have to retaliate," Kenseth added.

Kenseth also pointed out how NASCAR and Logano provoked him. NASCAR decided not to penalize Logano and squash the issue after Kansas. On top of it, chairman Brian France called it "quintessential NASCAR" as Logano kept making comments throughout the week, which further 'encouraged' the #20 driver.

The aftermath of Matt Kenseth's retaliation on Joey Logano

Matt Kenseth, #20 Dollar General Toyota, spins as Joey Logano, the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, races by in Kansas on October 18, 2015 - Source: Getty

After receiving the suspension for his deliberate move on Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth appealed to NASCAR for it to be revoked. He believed there were earlier instances of such retaliation where racers were let go with a fine, as in the case of Jeff Gordon in 2012, who was fined $100,000 for intentionally wrecking Clint Bowyer. But he lost the appeal and vowed to continue racing similarly:

"It's not going to change how I race, I'm going to be more fired up, probably less tolerant, and I'm planning on from here on out being a lot more aggressive. I feel like sometimes I try too hard and I need to just let it be, there are some people who are just not going to like me," Kenseth added in his Associated Press interview.

While Erik Jones replaced Kenseth for his two races in the #20 Toyota, Kenseth returned in Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished the year in 15th place. As for Logano, he won all three races in the Contender Round but failed to win thereafter, finishing sixth in the final standings of the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series.