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NASCAR: The day no one predicted would change Joey Logano forever

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NASCAR: The day no one predicted would change Joey Logano forever

Having followed the tumultuous journey of Joey Logano from his early days at Joe Gibbs Racing to his current status as a three-time NASCAR champion, I can’t help but marvel at the transformation this young man has undergone.

Following his triumphant third NASCAR Cup Series championship win at Phoenix Raceway over the weekend, Joey Logano has found himself inundated with a multitude of criticism and animosity both online and across the NASCAR community.

The driver from Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford ended the regular season ranked 15th, his sole victory at Nashville Superspeedway securing his playoff spot. However, he was eliminated in the round of 12, until Alex Bowman’s disqualification at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval allowed him another chance. He then triumphed in two out of the last four races to clinch the championship title.

2024 saw Logano, the only current three-time Cup Series champion, record an average finish of 17.11 – the poorest performance by a titleholder in the sport’s history. This less-than-stellar season has sparked debate about the playoff format like never before, questioning its effectiveness and fairness.

However, that topic about the current playoff format’s horse seems quite exhausted and likely to remain so until there’s a change in the format.

Let’s discuss another topic today. Today, we’ll delve into the transformation of Logano from his initial racing years, particularly focusing on how he mastered his skills specifically for this unique playoff setup, where he has clinched a remarkable three championships so far.

Believe it or not, Joey Logano hasn’t always been the aggressive, win-at-all-costs driver he’s known as now.

2024 saw Kyle Busch’s reputation taking a hit, leaving race fans in a dilemma over who to cast their votes for as the most contentious driver in NASCAR. The debate has been heated between the strategic racer, Logano, and the notorious crowd-stirrer, Denny Hamlin.

Why does Logano receive so much dislike? Primarily, it seems that any driver who consistently wins in NASCAR faces backlash from fans. However, when it comes to Logano, it’s not just the victories but also his aggressive driving style and overall conduct that have sparked this animosity. Frequently, he has shown a lack of remorse in using his front bumper to secure wins.

2015 saw Joey Logano spinning Matt Kenseth to claim victory at Kansas Speedway. Although he had previously secured a place in the round of 8, this action resulted in Kenseth’s elimination. This eventuality led to the notorious altercation between them at Martinsville Speedway.

2018 saw Martin Truex Jr. and Logano engage in a tough, over 10-lap duel at Martinsville. Eventually, Truex passed Logano smoothly. However, in an attempt to defend his position, Logano forced Truex off the track, allowing him to clinch a spot for the Championship 4. Ultimately, this set the stage for Logano to secure his first championship in that series.

Throughout his career, Logano’s driving style, which some perceive as aggressive and even underhanded but is technically within the rules, has sparked controversy among fans and fellow drivers. In recent years alone, he’s had multiple confrontations with Hamlin, Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and more. However, Logano has consistently emphasized that his goal isn’t to be popular or make friends; it’s to win races.

Initially, this exceptional driving skill wasn’t something he exhibited when he joined at 19 as a replacement for Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Instead, it emerged over time due to a highly talented young driver consistently facing pressure from veteran racers week after week, which eventually led to this performance enhancement.

In 2010 at Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway, Logano experienced a series of incidents involving Ryan Newman and Harvick respectively, where he seemed to be the victim, and his offenders faced no repercussions. When Logano spoke up in self-defense, it appeared that his words lacked actionable follow-through according to his adversaries.

Little did the other drivers know, their actions toward Logano would soon create a monster behind the wheel.

After spending four years with Joe Gibbs Racing, during which he only won two races, he was let go by the team. This termination was something he mentioned after securing his third title recently. However, fortune favored him when Roger Penske offered him a position to drive the No. 22 Ford in 2013. Realizing it was his last opportunity to perform at an elite team, Logano was determined to make it count.

At Bristol Motor Speedway during that particular race, Hamlin deliberately made Logano spin out as they were both competing for the second spot. This was after Logano appeared to cut in front of the #11 Toyota, causing Hamlin to drop down to a 17th place finish.

After the event, Darrell Waltrip, a Fox Sports commentator and Hall of Famer, remarked that if Jeff Gordon hadn’t changed position to take the lead, someone else would have. And that’s precisely what transpired.

On this occasion, Logano had reached his breaking point. Right after the race concluded, the Team Penske driver confronted Hamlin angrily in the garage area, even before Hamlin had exited his car. However, Hamlin’s crew intervened and pushed him away. Shortly afterward, a statement made by Hamlin that would become infamous among the rest of the competitors was uttered.

He said he was coming for me. But I usually don’t see him, so it’s usually not a factor.

Denny Hamlin

By an uncanny twist of events, Logano and Hamlin found themselves engaged in a fierce battle for the victory the very next week at Auto Club Speedway. As they entered turn three on the last lap, side by side, Logano made a bold move to push Hamlin off track, resulting in both drivers crashing. This unfortunate incident paved the way for Kyle Busch to claim the win. After colliding with the inner wall, Hamlin sustained a back injury that forced him out of action for several weeks.

Previously, prior to that incident, Tony Stewart moved to the inside of Logano during a late restart. However, Logano blocked aggressively before turn one, which cost Stewart several positions. Later, following the race, Stewart confronted Logano on pit road with the intention of fighting. But his crew managed to intervene and break up the altercation.

For a guy who’s been complaining about how everyone else is driving here, it’s a double standard… He’s a tough guy on pit road until one of his crew guys gets in the middle of it, and until then, he’s a scared little kid. And then he sits there and wants to throw a water bottle at me… He’s nothing but a little rich kid who’s never had to work a day in his life.

Tony Stewart

Reflecting on it now, Smoke’s quote turned out to be quite revealing about the evolving rivalry between Logano and his fellow racers. At that point, he had already started getting under their skin.

Over a prolonged period, Logano had been exploited unfairly, but during a brief stretch of laps, he managed to dash one driver’s hopes of winning and cause another’s elimination – all with the single-minded goal of securing victory for himself. It’s clear now that this mindset remains unaltered. Whenever Logano senses an opportunity to win, he’ll stir up trouble in some way to snatch it from you. He might not always resort to wrecking someone, but make no mistake, he comes with the intention of taking no chances and sparing no feelings.

Today, triumphing, particularly at crucial moments, is absolutely essential in NASCAR racing, and no team has demonstrated this better than the No. 22 team. It’s likely that Logano wouldn’t have developed his sharp winning instinct and aggressive approach, which he showcased at Fontana following years of being wronged repeatedly, if he hadn’t been in the sport. In fact, it’s possible that he might not be a racer at all today.

It was appropriate that the race following which Stewart labeled Logano as “just a wealthy youngster” was instrumental in transforming Logano from someone being pushed around to one doing the pushing. This characteristic, which might have had the most significant impact on him becoming a three-time champion, coincidentally equals Stewart’s career total even before he turned 35 years old.

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2024-11-13 17:02

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