NASCAR Champion Joey Logano Admits He Planned to Wreck C…read more
The 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway delivered the drama fans have come to expect, but it wasn’t just the on-track action that stole headlines. Following a tense and controversial finish, reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano shockingly admitted that he intended to wreck race winner Christopher Bell in the closing laps, frustrated over the circumstances that cost him the victory.
Bell ultimately came out on top, securing his first-ever All-Star Race win. However, the outcome didn’t come without controversy. A new rule feature — the ‘Promoter’s Caution’ — allowed Speedway Motorsports president and CEO Marcus Smith to throw a late-race caution at his discretion. That decision, made on Lap 217, dramatically altered the flow of the race and directly affected Logano, who was leading comfortably at the time.
The caution, designed to bunch up the field for a more thrilling finish, forced teams into a high-stakes strategy call. Logano opted to stay out on old tires, while many of his competitors, including Bell, pitted for fresh rubber. The result left Logano at a significant disadvantage on the restart.
Despite the odds, Logano fought hard to maintain his position, battling Bell for several intense laps. But ultimately, Bell’s fresher tires gave him the edge, and he muscled his way past Logano in a move that left the Team Penske driver furious.
Speaking immediately after the race on pit road, a visibly frustrated Logano didn’t hold back his emotions.
“I’m glad you had a blast, I’m p***ed off right now,” Logano told reporters. “I did all I could do to hold them off. He [Bell] got under me and released the brake and gave me no option. He just ran me up into the wall.”
In a stunning admission, Logano revealed that he had every intention of retaliating against Bell, had he been able to close the gap after the contact.
“If I could’ve got to him, he was going around,” Logano stated candidly. “After a move like that, I just couldn’t get back to him. It was too much to try and make up due to the tire deficit. I’m just frustrated — after you lead so many laps, the car is so fast, and you don’t win. It hurts quite a bit.”
The All-Star Race had been Logano’s to lose. He dominated the majority of the laps, showcasing the speed and precision that helped him claim the Cup title. But the introduction of the Promoter’s Caution — intended to spice up the show for fans — ultimately derailed his victory hopes and ignited fierce debate about whether such rule gimmicks have a place in high-stakes racing.
Logano made it clear that he wasn’t a fan of the rule, describing it as a gimmick that robbed him of a well-earned win. He didn’t hide his frustration with Speedway Motorsports’ Marcus Smith either.
“Yeah, I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution,” Logano said. “Me and Marcus Smith aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, OK? I’ve got to have a word with him.”
The Promoter’s Caution concept was introduced as a way to ensure a dramatic finish, allowing race organizers to manually bunch up the field at their discretion late in the race. While the goal was to improve the entertainment value, it came at the expense of race strategy and fairness, according to critics like Logano.
The incident reignited debates within the NASCAR community about the balance between sport and spectacle. Many fans appreciated the added excitement of a late restart, while purists and some drivers, like Logano, argued that artificially influencing the outcome undermines the integrity of the sport.
Meanwhile, Bell, who stayed above the fray post-race, enjoyed the biggest highlight of his All-Star career. While he did not directly comment on Logano’s threats or the drama surrounding the caution, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver will certainly remember this win — and likely anticipate some added tension next time he’s wheel-to-wheel with the No. 22 car.
As the Cup Series continues, all eyes will be on the brewing rivalry between Logano and Bell. Whether Logano follows through on his warning remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: NASCAR’s All-Star Race created more than just fireworks — it may have sparked a new feud that will carry into the rest of the season.
