With two wins after 19 races in 2022, Joey Logano is all smiles ahead of Sunday’s Ambetter 301. (Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
For the past 15 years, Joey Logano has evolved from a hot shot, top gun style racer to one of the leading veterans in the NASCAR Cup Series. Despite carrying the veteran label at age 32, the Middletown, Connecticut native is the experienced but calculative, wise racer on and off the track.
Sure, Logano still carries his trademark aggression and tenacity that netted him the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship. However, he’s refined his approach while refining such with the Next Gen car. Nevertheless, the Team Penske racer can get the job in his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang.
Although Logano’s led only 181 laps, he has two pivotal wins at Darlington and Gateway. As a result, he’s locked into the Playoffs and in pursuit of more victories ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 at Daytona.
Following Brad Keselowski’s move to Roush Fenway Keselowski or RFK Racing at the end of 2021, Logano embraced the lead veteran role with Team Penske’s NASCAR efforts. All things considered, it’s a true circle of life moment for the 29-time Cup race winner.
Outside of his normal weekend job, Logano has shared his perspectives in the booth for FOX NASCAR‘s Xfinity telecasts. By all means, he presents authentic, relatable knowledge from a driver’s standpoint to the viewers watching online or on TV.
Aside from his passion with the stock car world, he’s the proud husband to wife, Brittany, and a loving father to sons, Hudson and Jameson, and daughter, Emilia. Undoubtedly, he cherishes his family life while seeing his weekend job in different light.
Ahead of Sunday’s Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, I interviewed Logano to get his thoughts on his season and growth as a driver. Without further ado, here’s “In the Hot Seat” with Joey Logano!
Rob Tiongson : In your 10th season with the Team Penske organization, you’re the team’s veteran driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. How have you embraced this role particularly when considering being the fresh, raw young driver you were when you joined the team in 2013?
Logano doesn’t mind wearing the veteran’s cap for Team Penske’s NASCAR efforts. (Photo: Riley Thompson | The Podium Finish)
Joey Logano : I’ve kind of embraced it. I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve been here, like you said, for my 10th season, with Team Penske and been able to kind of see the company change over the years from two teams to three teams, to satellite team, to the Xfinity teams coming and going and seeing a lot of change there.
And I feel like I bring a good perspective for those reasons. And I feel like now I’m ready for it. I probably wasn’t ready for it five years ago, but I feel like I am now. So that’s good.
Tiongson : As competitive as NASCAR has been, there’s been few changes in terms of the driver lineup since 2018. What’s it like to have that consistency on campus and building upon the progress that you and Ryan Blaney have established as teammates in the past four years?
Logano : Blaney’s my teammate that I’ve had the longest at this point. Blaney’s been here a long time, even longer than the past four years cuz he has run Xfinity cars here. He has been here at least at Team Penske for a while.
So, the relationship between me and him has really gotten stronger here over the last two years especially as he’s become more and more competitive on the racetrack. We can work closely together to help move our team forward.
Tiongson : You’ve raced different iterations of the Cup car, but I can imagine the Next Gen car has been a completely different vehicle than the past. How has it made you relearn or refine your attacking points on the track? And would you say it’s shaken up your comfort factor with what you knew with the Car of Tomorrow and Gen 6 car?
Life’s a bit different with the Next Gen stock car. (Photo: Riley Thompson | The Podium Finish)
Logano : The Next Gen cars are obviously very different for everybody. When it comes to how you drive the car, what you look for in the car, what you need on restarts, what you need for long runs, how you adjust on it, you name it, it is different.
And I think that’s why you see more first-time winners this year than ever is because the experience level that you know, myself, Kyle Busch or (Kevin) Harvick or Denny (Hamlin), those guys have been around for a long, long time, (as well as) Truex. That experience isn’t as valuable as it used to be with the new car.
I think that’s why you see these younger drivers coming, who don’t have as much experience, (to) be able to race up there with us consistently. And that’s because the advantage we earned over the last, 15, 20 years is, is I don’t… I wouldn’t say it’s washed away by no means, but, just some of it’s not as useful as it used to be. (laughs) So, it’s forced us all to learn quickly and change, what we’re doing and you keep finding new ways to be better.
Tiongson : With summertime conditions essentially from now through early October, how have you been managing your conditioning and hydration efforts, especially with the hot, oval races from Atlanta to Las Vegas in the Playoffs?
Logano : I drink a lot of water. I drink a lot of water and I get ready. (laughs) It’s the same every week. I just prepare the same ways as I usually do with hydration, working out, staying fit, working out. Outside’s always important for me.
Tiongson : You grew up in Connecticut and Georgia as you worked your way up the racing ladder. How much did your early racing years help shape you into the competitive, tenacious driver you’ve been over the years?
Logano : I mean, anytime you’re in a car is good, whether you’re six or 60. I think when you’re in a car, you’re challenging yourself, pushing yourself, mentally, physically to try to find more and thinking about it. So, I think it’s good just to be in the car. Yeah.
Tiongson : We all know you’re talented at racing and you’re a solid commentator in the booth. What’s a hidden talent of yours that most folks would not know about?
It doesn’t take much to guess one of Logano’s talents. (Photo: Sean Folsom | The Podium Finish)
Logano : Hmm. I’m pretty much good at only a couple things in life. (laughs) But that’s all you need to be good at, right? I heard someone say, “All you need to be is really, really good at one thing, no matter what that is, and you’ll be successful.”
And I found the one thing I’m pretty good at and I’ve been kinda working at that one thing. So, if you’re asking me if I have any other talents, the answer is probably no cuz this is it. Racing is all there’s ever been.
Tiongson : You’ve grown up from the young, raw racer to a respected racer and father to three wonderful kids. What’s it like to share your passion of racing with your family, particularly with kids as they’re seeing what their dad does on weekends?
Logano : Yeah. That’s been different here. The last few (years) as my two sons are, they’re figuring it out. You know, one step at a time. My oldest son is four and my youngest son’s two and you bring them to the racetrack. Hudson has a general idea of what’s going on and who’s in what car and has an opinion about everything. (laughs)
And then Jameson, he just thinks race cars are cool. (laughs) Sometimes, he sees a car, he’s just like, “Racecar, racecar.” So that part’s pretty fun.
Hudson wheels his little go cart around at home and that’s been pretty fun to do it. But it’s definitely a balance for everybody. It’s a lot, right? Cuz we’re, we’re gone a lot. We’re working a lot.
So, mama’s got her hands full at home a lot of times. And so, it takes… when they say it takes an army, they are correct to take care of all these kids. It’s a lot going on all the time.
Tiongson : If you had to write an article about yourself and describe who you are as a person and racer in three words, what words would you choose and why?
Logano : I would say three words… passionate, aggressive, and fun. Fun. I wanna have fun. It works. I wanna be fun at least. Putting the passion and fun together is pretty tough.
Tiongson : If Hollywood approached you to make the Joey Logano biopic or movie, which actor would you choose to depict you on the big screen and why?
Who needs a Hollywood actor to play Logano on the big screen? (Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
Logano : I’ve had this question before. I have no idea. I have no idea. I don’t watch enough movie. I don’t sit down and watch TV. I don’t… I have no idea. Can’t sit down long enough.
Tiongson : Just as aviation may be associated with songs from Top Gun, what songs do you think best personifies what it’s like to race in NASCAR?
Logano : Ian, gimme a song. What’s a song that’s like Top Gun for NASCAR? “Life in the Fast Lane” (by The Eagles). There we go.
Editor’s Notes
Special thanks to Joey Logano for taking the time for this latest “In the Hot Seat” interview series on The Podium Finish. Also, thanks to Ian Moye of Team Penske for making this interview possible. You can keep track of Joey Logano on his official website, Facebook and Twitter accounts and here on TPF! Also, check out Joey’s interview on The Podium Finish Live! on Spotify!
