Talladega Frights: Joey Logano's car goes airborne in wild crash at NASCAR Cup race

NASCAR race ace Joey Logano says ‘dangerous’ track conditions need to change after he walked away from a terrifying airborne crash at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

Logano’s Ford Mustang was sent flying into the air after being bumped by fellow driver Denny Hamlin’s car as he went to make a pass at speeds of close to 200 miles per hour.

Logano’s car spun 180 degrees before lifting off the ground and flipping over, eventually coming to a standstill hundreds of yards away.

Logano walked away from the crash, but said if he had been hit while the car was airborne it could have been a different story.  

After fellow driver Ryan Newman was involved in a serious crash at Daytona last year, Logano called on NASCAR to improve ‘dangerous’ racing conditions.

‘On one hand, I am mad about being in the crash, and on the other, I am happy to be alive,’ Logano said.  

Joey Logano’s NASCAR Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway came to an abrupt end when he was bumped by fellow driver Denny Hamlin while Hamlin was attempting a pass

Logano’s car spun 180 degrees and flipped – but luckily for the driver it was not hit by other cars while in the air

Logano was able to walk away from the crash, but he’s called on NASCAR to improve ‘dangerous’ conditions at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama

Logano, the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, said: ‘I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not OK’

‘On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not OK.

‘I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don’t feel like that is acceptable.’

Logano was referring to a crash at the Daytona 500 last year that left Ryan Newman hospitalized with serious head injuries. 

In that crash,  Newman’s car hit the outside wall head-on, and it flipped over after making an impact. His car was then hit on the driver’s side window by another car coming at full speed.     

‘I got lucky I didn’t get hit while I was in the air,’ Logano said after Sunday’s crash. 

Afterwards, Logano Tweeted: ‘Our day at Dega ended way too soon. Had a fast @autotrader @Ford just wish we had more of a chance to show it. Thankful for safe race cars and all the messages I just got from the fans #NASCAR.’    

Logano’s teammate Brad Keselowski won the race after taking the lead for the first time in the final lap.

The exceptionally tight race featured 35 lead changes among 27 drivers. 

Afterwards, Keselowski was asked about an embarrassing Team Penske gaffe in the season-opening Daytona 500 when he and teammate Logano took each other out in a last-lap crash as Keselowski tried to pass Logano for the victory. 

‘I certainly learned some lessons from that race and I tried to apply them, and it all came together there at the end.’ 

Logano, nicknamed ‘Sliced Bread’, drives the No. 22 Ford Mustang GT for Team Penske, and was crowned 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. 

Joey Logano says safety improvements are required to prevent NASCAR drivers suffering serious injury