"They need to clean it up" - Joey Logano criticizes track conditions after wreck involving Brad Keselowski at Watkins Glen

NASCAR witnessed yet another severe crash at Watkins Glen on lap 84 that involved Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and William Byron. While all the drivers came out uninjured, Joey Logano accepted full responsibility for the collision.

The accident unfolded when Byron, driving the #24, tried to overtake Keselowski on the outside just as Logano initiated contact. The maneuver led to #24's right front wheel climbing into Keselowski's driver's window, catapulting both vehicles into the wall.

Joey Logano, who ultimately finished in 15th place, acknowledged his role in the incident but pointed to an inadequately cleaned track as a contributing factor. He expressed frustration, noting that he had repeatedly raised this issue with NASCAR, but to no avail:

"I just wanted to talk to him. I mean really, I’m not making any excuses, but I needed to check up more but the track’s a complete disaster. They need to clean it up and I got pushed maybe four-wide at one point, so tried to give room there and got up in the marbles."

"When I went to turn back to the left, it’s got cr"p all over the tires and I got into him. It’s still on me, right, but at the same time, clean the damn track. I brought it up at least two to three times about cleaning the track before the restarts, but it just didn’t happen."

Brad Keselowski, who finished 26th, echoed Joey Logano’s concerns about the track conditions in his post-race interview, emphasizing the debris on the track. He stated:

"The track was really, really dirty and... I assume he had marbles on the tires, he just didn't make the turn, but I got hooked in the left rear. It's really a shame. We had brand new tires on we were restarting I guess 16. [...] Just tough way to go."

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Brad Keselowski's crew chief had a wry reaction to the collision with Joey Logano

William Byron pitted for the repairs in Lap 86 but only managed to reach up to P34 by the end of the race. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski's crew chief, Matt McCall, delivered a biting remark over the team radio following the collision. After Keselowski inquired about the incident, McCall responded dryly,

"Your buddy Logano ran over you."

The comment was reinforced by his spotter, TJ Major’s clear statement: "Cleaned out by Joey, 100%."

Despite the setback, the HMS driver maintains a somewhat secure position in the standings, holding 10th place with a 25-point cushion above the cutoff. Logano remains at the forefront of the playoff standings.

Meanwhile, Keselowski, who was just one point shy of the playoff cutline before the race at Watkins Glen, now finds himself 12 points adrift of advancing to the Round of 12.