Richard Petty: Matt Kenseth ‘lucky’ to receive exclusively two-race suspension

“I have great fans, awesome fans, but then there are a few that just come up, and I start laughing because it’s so creative”, Logano said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know I sucked on so many different levels'”. He was eliminated from the Chase for the Sprint Cup after the second series of three races, one of which was decided when Joey Logano spun Kenseth’s auto at Kansas. Kenseth retaliated two races later by wrecking Logano as Logano raced for a win at Martinsville Speedway that would have landed him a berth in the championship field.

Logano was leading at Martinsville when Kenseth intervened.

That attitude, which Kenseth called “arrogant” in an interview with The Associated Press Friday, didn’t earn Logano much respect.

Matt Kenseth met Monday in Charlotte with NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, at the latter’s request, ahead of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s return from a two-race suspension for this weekend’s Sprint Cup season finale at Homestead. Rick Hendrick has more than 30 years in the sport and didn’t want to see Kenseth parked. It’s something I’ve done in my life, especially recently, is spin things into a positive and try to look at the bright side of things.

“I didn’t think he had to be suspended”, Hendrick said.

“As soon as the race was over I’d go find whoever it was”, Petty said, “and we’d have it out right there”.

The six-time NASCAR champion simply applied pressure the Team Penske driver until he was able to pass for the No. 2 Ford for the win. He runs at Phoenix needing to win to make the four-driver championship race at Homestead-Miami. That’s what this point system brings.