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Joey Logano Hopeful to Defend Darlington Victory

Joey Logano would like to add another Darlington trophy to his mantle. (Photo: Riley Thompson | The Podium Finish)

Joey Logano would like to add another Darlington trophy to his mantle. (Photo: Riley Thompson | The Podium Finish)

DARLINGTON, S.C. – A year ago, Joey Logano’s NASCAR Cup Series championship quest began in earnest in a spirited duel against William Byron at Darlington Raceway.

As last year’s Goodyear 400 drew to its final two laps, Logano evoked memories of Dale Earnhardt’s tap and pass against Bobby Hamilton at Rockingham Speedway, applying the bump and run against William Byron. Logano tallied the first of four victories en route to his second championship.

Ahead of Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at “The Track Too Tough to Tame,” Logano considered another crowning achievement as one of the latest drivers named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers List.

“It’s obviously an incredible honor, especially when you look at the other drivers that are on the list and to have your name involved with those guys – a lot of them are ones I grew up watching racing and some that I raced against,” Logano said. “A lot of them I remember the first few years of my career kicking my butt and thinking, ‘Boy, I just hope I’m in the sport. Forget being on a list like this.’

“I was talking to Walt Czarnecki this week. Afterwards, he called me and congratulated me and I thought, ‘You know what? This is really kind of our award because I would never have made it if it wasn’t for you.’ It’s really a shared thing. I was this close of not having a Cup ride and you look at the last 11 years – to rack up enough stats to make that list is pretty cool for me.”

In the past 10 years, Logano went from being on the brink of surviving in the Cup Series to a venerable champion with the Team Penske organization. Moreover, he has adapted to the high stakes, intense, pressure packed era of NASCAR that emphasizes wins and aggression at all costs.

Joey Logano throws it back to Mark Donohue's distinct colors from 1973. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)

Joey Logano throws it back to Mark Donohue’s distinct colors from 1973. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)

“Every stage is big,” he said. “Every race win is now big. You can’t let your foot off the gas. You’ve got to go all the time and the schedule is designed to do that and the points are designed to do that as it should be. That’s what fans want. That’s what I get a little confused sometimes when fans say they want it to be like it used to be.

“Do you remember what that was? That sucked. This is great. The intensity is ridiculous all the way through the whole season and then each round of the playoffs it just gets more and more. As a driver, I’m never comfortable and I never go, ‘Well, that race really didn’t matter.’ I never say that. I am disappointed after every bad race because there’s a lot on the line.”

If there is a place that rewards those who elevate their tenacity and passion for excellence, Darlington Raceway is the epitome of a track where the best of the best rise to the occasion. Logano hopes to repeat history with his Mark Donohue throwback and earn his second win of 2023.

“It’s one of the best races of the year,” Logano said. “It’s the environment of the throwback and all the cool cars that come out, which I think is fun for the fans and really competitors as well to see that.

“But the race itself, it’s just fun. You get a lot of tire wear, slipping and sliding hard, you’re up against the wall. It’s one of the best races we have all year.”

Rob Tiongson is a 30-something motorsports journalist who enjoys sports like baseball, basketball, football, soccer, track and field and hockey. A Boston native turned Austinite, racing was the first sport that caught his eyes. From interviews to retrospective articles, if it's about anything with an engine and four wheels, it'll be here on TPF, by him or by one of his talented columnists who have a passion for racing. Currently seeking a sports writing, public relations, or sports marketing career, particularly in motorsports. He enjoys editing and writing articles and features, as well as photography. Moreover, he enjoys time with his family and friends, traveling, cooking, working out and being a fun uncle or "funcle" to his nephew, niece and cat. Tiongson, a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, pursues his Master of Arts in Digital Journalism at St. Bonaventure University. Indeed, while Tiongson is proud to be from Massachusetts, he's an everywhere kind of man residing in Texas.

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