Joey Logano and Scott Speed certainly have too tough a racer’s mentality to give up after a couple slaps in the face, but wrecking out of Friday night’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in less than five laps got their attention.
“It sucks,” Logano said after leaving the infield care center. “It’s too early. I felt like we had a decent car for the first couple laps. I was just trying to get a feel for it before we went up there and mixed it up with everyone.”
Logano and Speed were innocent victims in a multi-car crash that broke out with virtually the entire 28-car field in a two- and three-wide draft; when someone ahead of Jimmie Johnson in mid-pack caused the three-time defending Cup champion to check up.
When David Ragan, running right behind Johnson appeared to lift, he was hit from behind by Robby Gordon, which sent Ragan’s No. 6 Ford into the outside wall. The ensuing jingle collected Speed, Logano and at the very end Casey Mears, whose car received minor front end damage.
“I don’t know who was behind me,” Ragan said outside the care center. “I think it was [Gordon], but he wasn’t really paying attention and just drove into the back of us and kind of made a mess. It’s just a typical deal here at Daytona and Talladega. When someone gets checked up usually two or three rows back someone doesn’t see it.”
Rookies Logano and Scott Speed got caught up in a six-car crash on Lap 5 of the Shootout after Robby Gordon’s No. 7 Dodge tapped David Ragan in the No. 6 Ford. Jamie McMurray in the No. 26 Ford and Casey Mears in the No. 07 Chevrolet also scraped some sheet metal.
Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 Chevy did an amazing job driving through the mess and actually commented on the radio that it was one time he wished he had an in-car camera so he could see exactly how he got through it.
“I don’t know who was behind me, I think it was the (No.) 7 (Robby Gordon), but wasn’t really paying attention and just drove into the back of us and kind of made a mess,” Ragan said.
Logano, Speed, Ragan and Gordon all were knocked out of the race. Speed said: “The guys in front of me wrecked and the rest is just history.”
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