HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A NASCAR official confirmed that the sanctioning body brokered a Friday morning meeting between feuding stars Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“We had a little discussion before practice,” Kenseth told reporters from ESPN.com and the Associated Press after Sprint Cup practice for Sunday’s Ford 400. “With NASCAR, we met with them a little bit.”
After qualiyfing second Friday night, Logano joked “we haven’t had enough of this one yet?” when asked about the meeting in a news conference.
“It was good,” the Team Penske driver said. “NASCAR had both of us sit down, and both of us talk it out a little bit. It was good for us to do.”
Kenseth is back in his No. 20 Toyota this weekend after a serving a two-race suspension for intentionally wrecking Logano from the lead with 45 laps remaining and his car 10 laps down at Martinsville Speedway three weeks ago.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was retaliating against Logano, who spun Kenseth while racing for the lead at Kansas Speedway two weeks earlier
“I think everything will be fine there,” Kenseth said. “I mean I wish none of it had happened, obviously. There’s probably certain things we’ll never agree on, but I think long-term it will be fine, and we’ll work it out.”
The meeting came on the heels of Kenseth being summoned Monday for a talk with NASCAR chairman Brian France.
“It’s always nice to get face time with somebody and understand their point of view and have them understand yours,” Kenseth said.
The 2003 champion, who was replaced by Erik Jones at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway, turned the 27th-fastest lap in the first session on the 1.5-mile oval.
“Nothing much better,” Kenseth replied when asked about being back in the cockpit. “It’s good to be back.”
The worst part of being sidelined?
“Seeing someone else in your car,” he said.