The 2025 Daytona 500 was marred by two big crashes that sidelined many key competitors. However, the crash involving Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. garnered particular attention due to Logano’s intentional maneuver, prompted by Stenhouse’s refusal to allow room for a three-wide pass. The incident echoed a previous confrontation at the Clash at Bowman Gray, where Burt Myers also implicated Stenhouse in a similar incident. Despite Logano and others pointing fingers at Stenhouse, several NASCAR insiders have begun to rally behind Stenhouse Jr.
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Jeff Gluck of The Athletic revisited the controversy by resharing an image of Myers at the Clash, smiling inside the NASCAR van, and commented, “This is honestly weird why they keep going at Stenhouse. Burt Myers wrecked himself in the Clash. And they keep trying to clown Stenhouse over it? I’m confused.”
This is honestly weird why they keep going at Stenhouse. Burt Myers wrecked himself in the Clash. And they keep trying to clown Stenhouse over it? I’m confused. https://t.co/HKM6uL3WXq
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 17, 2025
Fan reactions further indicated a shift in sentiment towards Stenhouse’s side for both the Daytona and the Clash incidents. One fan articulated, “Not to mention it was half Logano’s fault, when he found a hole that was closing, I don’t know how as an experienced driver you know the guys been block you down the track but you decide to get to his inside, then get wreck and manage to blame the other guy.”
One fan firmly stated, “I don’t even think Ricky caused the wreck he was in last night – that was all Joey,” while another observed, “Burt and Joey both got themselves wrecked.” In defense of Stenhouse for both incidents, another fan remarked, “Last night wasn’t on Ricky either. He threw a bad block but it worked until Joey threw a tantrum and continued to force his way in a gap that wasn’t there.”
During the Clash, Burt Myers, who enjoys a big following at Bowman Gray Stadium, collided with the wall after contact with Stenhouse Jr. However, Myers later conceded that the #47 driver was not entirely to blame, explaining, “I shoved him out, but I was getting shoved from behind, just like everybody else was, and ended up getting turned around. Like I said, I don’t want to put any blame on too much until I see exactly what happened.”
The admission by Myers helped alleviate some of the pressure mounted against Stenhouse Jr.
Kyle Busch trashes Logano for the massive wreck
In the Daytona 500 debacle, Kyle Busch criticized Logano for his inability to accurately assess the available spaces on the track, which led to a multi-car disaster. Busch remarked,
“Looks like the fastest car got in a hurry to get to the wreck… We still got 20 laps to go and he’s trying to go through the middle and make a hole that isn’t there and just created chaos… You got to know how wide your race car is to be able to find a hole that it’ll fit in and he obviously doesn’t know that.”
Before the chaos erupted, Logano had been at the forefront of the race, having led 43 laps and secured the Stage 1 win for his #22 crew at Team Penske. The upcoming race in Atlanta will be telling, as it will reveal how both Busch and Logano rebound from the fallout at Daytona.
