The NASCAR playoffs are heating up on and off the track.
Martin Truex Jr. dominated Sunday at Martinsville, winning the First Data 500, but it was what happened after the race on pit road that ultimately stole the show.
As Truex celebrated his seventh win of the season, tempers flared when Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin got together. After trading some paint during the race, the two traded pushes and shoves following a post-race dust-up caught by NBC cameras.
What looked like a relatively harmless disagreement, turned into a small fracas when Logano gave Hamlin a little shove upon walking away.
Hamlin took exception, and well, here’s what came of that.
Here’s an even better look at it, including, Logano talking a whole bunch of junk and challenging Hamlin to a fight with three or four human beings — all bigger than him — standing between the two.
At the end of that video, you can see Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, getting his driver under control, telling him “It’s not going to work like that.”
Once the dust finally settled, Hamlin told his side of the story.
“It was a discussion. I understand him coming over and talking, standing there and having a discussion with him, everything was fine,” Hamlin told reporters, per The Associated Press. “I think he didn’t get me agitated enough. So he said something and then pokes a little bit and then runs away trying to get me to come so he could hide behind his guys. He’s just not that tough. And he won’t stand face-to-face. That’s just his style.
“It was civil and then like Joey does, he does a little push and then runs away. He said, `Do you want to go?’ I said `Yes, I’m here’ and then he runs away.”
Logano downplayed the issue — “It’s just the playoffs” — but also was sure to needle Hamlin a little, too.
“Denny is Denny. He’s a little bit arrogant sometimes,” Logano said, per NBCSports.com. “I should be stronger than to let that get underneath me when he does that. Live and learn.
“Why I’d shove him? I was mad. I got fenced.”
We probably haven’t heard the end of this one yet. Both drivers are still in the running for a title — along with Truex and Kyle Busch — as the last four drivers remaining in the playoffs.
