Gordon Celebrates Martinsville Win, Kenseth Wipes Out Logano [Videos]

Jeff Gordon celebrated his 93rd career victory in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, November 1, 2015. That locks Gordon NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But Sunday’s race at Martinsville had so much more -- most notably, "Matt Kenseth’s Revenge."

THE SITUATION:

Long before Gordon held off Jamie McMurray in a two-lap run to the finish as darkness consumed the .526-mile short track, Kenseth ended polesitter Joey Logano’s remarkable run in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup by pile-driving Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford, which was leading the race at the time, into the Turn 1 wall on Lap 454 of 500.

Kenseth’s car was crippled at that point, the victim of a Lap 435 wreck that also involved the No. 2 Ford of Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski.

But when Kenseth clipped the left rear quarter panel of Logano’s Ford and slammed him into the SAFER barrier, it was retaliation for Kansas two weeks earlier, when Logano knocked Kenseth out of the way—and effectively out of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup—in the closing laps of the second race of the Contender Round.

Kenseth failed to advance to the Eliminator Round, which started at Martinsville on Sunday. And now Logano likewise is in dire jeopardy of seeing his dream season end before the Championship Round.

LOGANO'S RESPONSE:

"I think what happened at Kansas is a completely different deal," Logano said after a visit to the infield care center. "We were racing for the win, and he blocks you a few times, and then we raced hard and he blocked me the last time and we spun out. That’s what happened there.

"Here it was just a complete coward move, especially for a championship race car driver and race team. Just a complete coward. I don’t have anything else to say. It’s a chicken-you-know-what move to completely take out the leader when your race is over."

Logano, who was bidding for his fourth straight victory, finished 37th and is eighth in the Chase standings, 28 points behind Kevin Harvick in fourth, the last transfer position into the Championship Round.

KENSETH'S RESPONSE:

It was clear from Kenseth’s post-accident comments that the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota felt it was important to assert himself.

"You never like to be in these situations," Kenseth said. "They really stink, to be honest with you, but sometimes you get put in these spots, and you’ve got to try to keep respect in the garage area. You can’t get yourself ran over.

"You can’t get in the Chase next year and get ran over for the same reason. Like I said, hate the way it ended. Wish we were out there celebrating or having a shot for the win like we did before we got wrecked, so a disappointing day."

NASCAR'S RESPONSE:

NASCAR called Kenseth, crew chief Jason Ratcliff and team owner Joe Gibbs to the sanctioning body’s transporter after the race. Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said the incident will be reviewed and subsequent action, if any, will be announced later this week.

GORDON IN VICTORY LANE:

None of the Kenseth-Logano drama, however, could mute the elation of Gordon, the first driver to clinch a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead.

"Yeah, baby, yeah—we go to Homestead!" Gordon screamed after crossing the finish line .335 seconds ahead of McMurray. "That was huge! That was huge! Boys, I love you guys.

"That’s what I was talking about. We just keep digging and fighting..."

A few minutes later, in Victory Lane, Gordon couldn’t resist a joke.

"It was a joke. I’m coming back next year!" Gordon quipped about his impending retirement. "This is the sweetest, most amazing feeling. I am so proud of this team. You want to talk about holding back emotions; right now man, wow, we’re going to Homestead! I can’t believe it."

Kyle Busch had a fight on his hands, too, after spinning in Turn 2 on Lap 171 and damaging the front suspension of his No. 18 Toyota during contact with the No. 3 Chevrolet of Austin Dillon. But Busch rallied to come home fifth and is tied with sixth-place finisher Martin Truex Jr. for second in the Chase standings.

IOWA DRIVERS:

Fairfax, Iowa's Landon Cassill was the highest finishing driver from the Hawkeye State with a 21st place finish. Michael Annett (Des Moines) came home in 23rd. Brett Moffitt (Grimes) finished 35th.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race
Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, Virginia
Sunday, November 01, 2015

1. (5) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 500, $199836.
2. (4) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 500, $158301.
3. (10) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 500, $131335.
4. (22) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 500, $117160.
5. (6) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 500, $138391.
6. (2) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 500, $121985.
7. (7) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 500, $124615.
8. (12) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 500, $146715.
9. (24) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 500, $104790.
10. (13) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 500, $119004.
11. (3) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 500, $133298.
12. (21) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 500, $133051.
13. (23) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 500, $113973.
14. (14) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 500, $88865.
15. (26) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 500, $97065.
16. (8) Aric Almirola, Ford, 500, $125201.
17. (19) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 500, $110023.
18. (30) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 500, $124176.
19. (9) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 500, $114423.
20. (31) Cole Whitt, Ford, 500, $98823.
21. (27) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 500, $85815.
22. (41) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 499, $95087.
23. (38) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 498, $85265.
24. (33) David Gilliland, Ford, 498, $93015.
25. (28) David Ragan, Toyota, 498, $111954.
26. (25) Greg Biffle, Ford, 497, $115598.
27. (35) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 496, $85365.
28. (20) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 493, $107560.
29. (39) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 492, $81090.
30. (36) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 492, $82515.
31. (32) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 491, $125465.
32. (11) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 490, $129231.
33. (43) Alex Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 489, $80665.
34. (15) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 486, $98615.
35. (34) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 479, $80565.
36. (42) Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, 459, $80515.
37. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, 458, $139538.
38. (18) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Parked, 443, $112688.
39. (29) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 423, $79680.
40. (16) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, Accident, 391, $75680.
41. (40) Kyle Fowler, Ford, Brakes, 373, $63680.
42. (37) Ryan Preece, Ford, 365, $59680.
43. (17) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, Accident, 185, $90338.