“I believe it’s the underbody”: Joey Logano shares his take on Kyle Larson’s scary Atlanta wreck

NASCAR driver Joey Logano recently shed light on the harrowing crash suffered by his competitor Kyle Larson in the first playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Larson lost the balance of his #5 Chevy and slammed into the wall, eventually leading to a DNF.

Two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano pilots the #22 Ford for Team Penske, competing full-time in the Cup Series. In a career spanning 17 years, Logano has secured 66 race wins across all NASCAR divisions. His most recent victory came in the Quaker State 400 playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, advancing him to the next round of the 2024 playoffs.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson endured a major crash in Stage 1 at Atlanta. On Lap 56, while running third, his No. 5 Chevrolet snapped loose in Turns 1 and 2. Larson overcorrected, sending the car nose-first into the outside SAFER barrier.

Team Penske's Joey Logano, who won the Quaker State 400, gave his take on the crash Larson suffered in Atlanta (via DirtyMoMedia on X):

"In a simple answer, I believe it is the underbody and the lack of side force that's in the car. The car makes the most downforce when it's going straight, and as it creates, you get more sideways or yaw in the car. Aerodynamically, it starts to shut off the downforce, and you don't gain any side force like we used to, right?" Logano said.

"Larson said it. When he was running Indy cars at the Indy 500, he said that the Cup car is more like an Indy car than it used to be. And you see the way an Indy car crashes, its the same way right? They're quick, they snap," he added.

Following his win at Atlanta, Joey Logano has advanced to the round of 12 in the 2024 playoffs. He is currently P5 in the Cup Series driver standings, only 17 points behind Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, who is currently P1.

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"Some people are kind of born a certain way" - Joey Logano on performing in high-stakes situations

Joey Logano grabbed his second win of the season in the playoff opener at Atlanta. Following his win, he shed light on his and the #22 team's mindset while the playoffs are underway.

During a press conference following the Quaker State 400, Joey Logano was asked how he consistently delivers under high-pressure situations, like in Atlanta or throughout the playoffs, to which the #22 driver responded:

"I think some people are kind of born a certain way, like very competitive people. I feel like for whatever reason there’s always another gear in there. I try to reach it every race, but it just seems like the playoffs seem to work for us as a team. I wouldn’t say it’s just me, right? I mean our whole team really does a good job at thriving in these scenarios," Logano said [at 8:25].