“It was a little bit nitpicky”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. defends NASCAR champion Joey Logano amid recent penalty at Phoenix Raceway

Dale Earnhardt Jr. weighed in on Joey Logano's restart violation at Phoenix Raceway. He backed the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion and argued that the officials were "a little bit nitpicky."

During the lap 14 restart, Joey Logano, the winner of the last Phoenix fall race, drove below the yellow line before completely crossing the start/finish line. NASCAR described it as a restart violation and issued the Team Penske ace a drive-through penalty.

In the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the early penalty on Logano was unwarranted.

"That would have been a moment to say, 'Look, man. We're not going to torpedo Joey's day over about 12 inches of asphalt. He didn't gain anything from it.' It would have been a good time to say, 'Alright, everybody, we're sending out a warning. The #22 car was aggressive there. Stop doing it,'" Dale Jr. stated.

"I think that would have been the play. But I just feel like it was a little bit nitpicky," he added.

His podcast co-host, TJ Majors, disagreed, saying Joey Logano gained a slight advantage by cutting the dogleg early. However, Dale Jr. didn't change his mind and said:

"I disagree. It was nitpicky."

Joey Logano served the penalty from first place on lap 20, allowing William Byron to take the lead. The No. 22 driver exited the pit lane dead last in 37th place behind open car driver Katherine Legge.

The three-time Cup Series champion kept at it and gained positions throughout the 312-lap race. He eventually finished 13th to lead the Team Penske camp (Austin Cindric was 19th, while Ryan Blaney was 28th).

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"I don't know if I can agree with that": Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Austin Cindric's penalty at COTA

Last week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. commented on Austin Cindric's penalty for the on-track collision with Ty Dillon. He disagreed with NASCAR drivers like Denny Hamlin, arguing the penalty should be the same for right hooking.

For the unversed, Cindric right-hooked Ty Dillon at the Circuit of the Americas, which later resulted in a $50,000 fine and 50-point reduction. Unlike previous similar incidents, the Team Penske driver wasn't suspended.

In response to drivers and fans calling for a suspension, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said:

"I understand what some of the drivers are saying as far as Kyle Busch and Denny who were like [...] 'I don't care if you're going 10mph or 200mph, a right-hook is a right-hook and it shall all be treated the same.' Yeah, I don't know if I can agree with that." [4:56]

If Austin Cindric got suspended, the No. 2 driver's playoff run would be compromised, given that he qualifies for the postseason. The new playoff waiver rule forfeits any playoff points for missing a race due to reasons like a suspension.

Co-host Travis Rockhold speculated that the updated playoff waiver rule could've influenced NASCAR's decision to suspend Cindric. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. begged to differ and said the officials probably considered the aftermath, which wasn't as severe as right-hook incidents on high-speed tracks.

As of this writing, Cindric ranks 32nd in the standings despite leading for 112 laps, third-most behind Christopher Bell. His teammates, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, rank fourth and ninth, respectively.