Joey Logano, the defending Cup Series champion, received a penalty for a restart violation during the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. NASCAR handed him a pass-through penalty, which forced him to the back of the field.
Despite finishing in 13th place, Logano was furious over the radio, insisting the penalty was unfair and trivial, calling it “ridiculous.
Kevin Harvick acknowledged that the rule is clear-cut, but he argued that if NASCAR enforces such rules strictly, they should do so consistently.
He pointed out other questionable restart situations that went unpenalized, suggesting that enforcement lacks uniformity.
Harvick emphasized that if NASCAR applies black-and-white rules like Logano’s penalty, they must enforce them across all situations.
He criticized the selective enforcement, questioning why some infractions are overlooked while others are punished.
He noted that no other drivers were penalized for similar violations throughout the race, adding that some restarts appeared to involve questionable jumps.
Harvick expressed frustration over inconsistencies, referencing a past incident with Denny Hamlin at Richmond as an example of unfair officiating.
Logano now turns his focus to the upcoming fifth race of the Cup Series season in Las Vegas.
