Denny versus Joey: class acts on and off the track.

BY DAVID TAYLOR

It’s fair to say that over the years, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin have butted heads on multiple occasions, but this weekend the two most experienced drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series showed tremendous respect on and off the track. 

Heading back to North Wilkesboro for the first cup points race in 30 years, Joey Logano didn’t have much to celebrate after a slow start to his 2026 season. The three time champion entered the weekend having seen his teammate Ryan Blaney win again in Atlanta, whilst the #22 team was sat outside The Chase top 16. 

During the race, Logano ran up the front all day claiming a whopping 73 points and finally looked like the old Joey that we used to know. Finishing in second place was current points leader Denny Hamlin who had struggled in the early part of the race with a sticky throttle, however he was able to alter his style and challenge for the win.

The two veterans pulled away from the rest of the pack in the final stage with Logano managing to inch ahead of the Toyota to end a 45 race winless streak. 

A nice moment followed back in pit road after the race when Denny rushed over to the pit wall to shake hands and congratulate his long time rival on a nice clean race.

Another driver who ran up the front and put promise into practice, was Shane Van Gisbergen who almost won stage one and had his most competitive race on an oval to date. The Kiwi is certainly leading the charge for the Trackhouse team and his fifth place finish helps his quest to qualify for The Chase. 

The event was relatively trouble free, bar a miscommunication on lap 183 during a round of green-flag pit stops when Alex Bowman attempted a late, aggressive dive from the outside lane toward the pit road entry, clipping the front end of Tyler Reddick in the process. The contact sent both drivers spinning down the entry lane, instantly triggering a caution flag. However, the rest of the race proved to be an excellent display of driving despite the heat and the aggressive nature of short track racing. 

Looking ahead to the five remaining races before the Chase, Ryan Blaney joins Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick as confirmed drivers for a spot ahead of the top 16 reset. 

Because a trip to Victory Lane no longer guarantees a playoff spot, the cut line becomes a much more important factor. At the moment, Austin Cindric currently holds the precarious final spot in his Penske, while Legacy’s Eric Jones and the RFK Fords of Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski are looking to get back into the championship picture. 

Up next is the Brickyard 400 - a trophy that Denny Hamlin has been wanting to get his hands on forever. Can the current points leader add to his 5 wins so far this season?

📸Image credits: NASCAR, Shane Van Gisbergen,