Joey Logano says he wasn't trying to wreck Denny Hamlin

Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

FONTANA, Calif. -- Joey Logano said he did not realize Denny Hamlin was involved in a hard crash when he made televised comments suggesting the driver had it coming – nor did he mean to wreck his former teammate on the last lap of Sunday's Auto Club 400.

Logano told USA TODAY Sports by phone Monday that he had "no idea" Hamlin was hurt or even that he hit the wall hard when he told Fox: "He probably shouldn't have done what he did last week (at Bristol), so that's what he gets."

"I just thought we were racing hard, you know?" Logano said Monday. "It happens. You don't ever want anyone to get hurt; you don't ever want anything to happen, especially to Denny. We were racing really hard there at the end of the race.

"I wish there was a SAFER barrier down there, and I wish I knew before I made any comments on TV also."

Hamlin remains hospitalized in Southern California with a compressed fracture in his lower back -- a collapsed vertebrae.

Austin Peyton, Hamlin's day-to-day business manager, told USA TODAY Sports that Hamlin is hoping to be released from the hospital Monday and fly home this afternoon to North Carolina for further evaluation by Dr. Jerry Petty of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates later this week.

Hamlin is stable enough to return home, but Peyton said it is undetermined whether surgery will be needed or whether Hamlin might miss any races.

Logano insisted he was not trying to wreck Hamlin "in any way, shape or form."

"We raced each other hard, we pushed each other up the racetrack and there were no intentions of wrecking each other," he said. "You want to rub each other a little bit, and that's part of the race, but it's just unfortunate he hit in probably the worst possible spot he could have.

"The last thing I wanted to hear last night was that he was in the hospital. We're hoping for a speedy recovery and hoping that he's out there racing at Martinsville."

PHOTOS: Denny Hamlin crash at Auto Club Speedway

Though Logano finds himself in the midst of a firestorm now – he also fought with Tony Stewart on pit road after the race – he said isn't doing anything differently than before. The situations with Hamlin and Stewart just came at the same time.

"I really haven't changed my style," he said. "Bristol was an unfortunate incident and I wanted to let him know I wasn't OK with what happened – and that was all I wanted to do."

As for Stewart, Logano stood behind his post-race comments in which he said blocking Stewart on the restart was necessary to protect his position.

Stewart confronted Logano after the race because he was upset with being blocked on the bottom lane in the closing laps.

"It's time he learns a lesson," Stewart said. "He's run his mouth long enough and done this double standard, but he's nothing but a little rich kid who has never had to work in his life."

Logano said Monday: "I didn't even know what Tony was upset about in the first place. At that point in the race, I felt like I had to do that to stay in front, and I think a lot of people agree with that move."

On Sunday, team owner Roger Penske told USA TODAY Sports he stood behind Logano ''150%.''

Heading into Martinsville, Logano said he doesn't see why anyone would be gunning for him and was proud his team has had a chance to win the last three races.

His primary concern was with Hamlin's health, he said.

"These past couple weeks has been drama-filled, and I don't like being in the center of drama – but that's part of our sport also," he said. "I can't control what people are going to say – I can only control what goes through my mind. And what's going through my mind is hoping Denny has a speedy recovery."

The battle for the lead and crash marked the continuation of a recent rivalry between the former Joe Gibbs Racing teammates that developed at this season's Daytona 500, where Hamlin was unhappy with the way he claimed his former teammate clogged traffic near the end of the race. In a Twitter message to Brad Keselowski, Hamlin referred to Logano as a "genius teammate."

Last week at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hamlin tapped Logano into a spin in Turn 2 while battling for second with 152 laps remaining. Logano went to Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota to confront him after the race before being separated by crewmembers.

"It's frustrating," Logano said. "We've got a freaking genius behind the wheel of the 11 car. Probably the worst teammate I've ever had. So I learn that now. He chose to run into the back of me. So whatever. I have a scorecard. I ain't putting up with that."

That escalated into a war of words on Twitter afterward with Logano writing, "Hey @dennyhamlingreat job protecting that genius brain of yours by keeping your helmet on." Hamlin responded with "Why's that ... what would u do?", prompting @joeylogano to reply "Show you some love and appreciation." Hamlin responded, "Need my address?" And then: "Last time I checked he had my cell and direct message button to choose from if he's got a problem ... Otherwise hush little child."

Contributing: Nate Ryan

Follow Jeff Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck and Ryan @nateryan