DARLINGTON, S.C. — When we last left Darlington Raceway, Joey Logano’s front bumper was doing a number on the back deck of the No. 24 Chevrolet driven by William Byron. The deciding late-race bump in the Goodyear 400 touched off a volley of strong words between the two drivers, with Logano celebrating as the winner and Byron glum and bitter after fading from the lead to a 13th-place result.
Back in town for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener, the two hopefuls have done their best to move on, but there’s still some edge to their voices when asked about their approach should the on-track action turn physical.
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“I don’t think there really needs to be a discussion,” Logano said when asked if he’d sorted through matters with Byron. “I thought everything that went down here in the spring was done and over with, right? It’s tit for tat, one for the other. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: You don’t want to mess with me, because I’m not going to get pushed around. I’ve done that plenty in my career. It doesn’t work like that for me anymore.
“So you know, I think it’s for everyone’s best interests that we just focus on racing in the playoffs and trying to win championships. He’s got a great car, he’s a good driver, you know he’s capable of being up there the whole time, too. So I think it’s best for both of us to move forward and go racing. The score’s equal in my mind.”
As fate would have it, Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford will start at the front of the field for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) after claiming the Busch Light Pole in Saturday’s qualifying. Byron slotted his Hendrick Motorsports entry third in time trials, meaning he’ll start in the row right behind his rival when the 36-car field forms up.
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Both drivers won twice during the regular season, and they both reside among the top five in the reseeded order for the 10-race playoff. It’s been nearly four months since their shunt here in May, but Byron said the memories remain.
“Yeah, those things just stick with you, and if the shoe’s on the other foot, you know how to handle it,” Byron said earlier in the week at Cup Series Playoffs Media Day. “So, yeah, hopefully we’re in a position to win this week. That’d be awesome.”
Pressed for a more descriptive answer, Byron said he’s intent on standing his ground in those situations.
“I mean, I think I’m going to handle things the way I’ve always handled things,” Byron says, “and you know, I’ve had run-ins with people in the past and handled it and they never mess with me again. So I think it’s … yeah, it’ll sort itself out, for sure.”