Joey Logano wants to capture his fourth win at Kansas Speedway. (Photo: Patrick Vallely | The Podium Finish)
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Joey Logano has to feel like a marathoner who continually picks up pace and steam past the halfway point.
Others may feel falter, whether due to the distance or challenging elements of the course. Then, there are competitors like Logano who dig deep even when the odds are surmounting.
Admittedly, it has been a difficult climb for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion toward the top of the points standings. With only one top five and three top 10s in the first 11 races, the Team Penske driver ranks 13th.
For a driver who is typically tenaciously attacking for wins and top fives, it has been a trying time for the 33-year-old Middletown, Connecticut, native. Ahead of Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, he observed the challenges that he and his Ford Performance mates face with the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
“We haven’t won yet, so we’re not where we need to be,” Logano said. “But a lot of work’s being done. We’re working really hard to try to make something happen, try to find the missing ingredients, if you will. So, I think we’re honing in on on what those are. We just take some time to work on it and fix it.”
Last Sunday at Dover, Logano started 13th and finished 16th. The performance and result has been characteristic of the struggles that Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe are trying to overcome with their new car.
If there is any encouraging signs for Logano, he found speed throughout Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions. Posting the 32nd fastest time, only good enough for 25th quickest in a 10-lap consecutive average run, he qualified 11th, starting on the inside of row six alongside Chris Buescher.
More importantly, he is a three-time winner at Kansas Speedway. Most recently, he captured the 2020 Hollywood Casino 400 win in a cat and mouse kind of race against Kevin Harvick.
Speed and smooth pit stops seem to be the name of the game at this popular 1.5-mile track. For those factors alone, Logano knows it takes more than his driving acumen to get the job done at this 23-year-old speed palace.
Joey Logano found some speed in Saturday’s qualifying session, starting 11th for Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas. (Photo: Patrick Vallely | The Podium Finish)
“It takes a takes a bit of everything to be faster,” he shared. “You gotta have a fast car, obviously. And to have that fast car takes a lot of lot of details to do it. But you gotta have the strategy.
“When we won the last one here, we won it on strategy. And you gotta execute the race, obviously, perfectly. Pit stops and restarts are are really key points for the driver as well.”
Heading into Sunday’s race, the talk about aero blocking has been at the forefront especially after the late race battle between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson at Dover Motor Speedway.
While Larson suggested removing the rear view camera, Logano dismisses such a suggestion while offering an alternative with a bit of a risky consequence.
“I don’t think it’d make a difference,” he observed. “Whether it’s the the camera or a mirror, we’re only doing the same thing. So unless you’re willing to take the mirrors out of the car, which I don’t know from a safety standpoint that really makes sense to do, so I’d say we got what we got. It’s just the way the game is now.”
Along with resolving aero blocking, the reduced on track time for Logano and his peers have the field wondering what to do when their on track sessions are over before race day.
Most weekends, Logano is a guest analyst for FOX NASCAR’s XFINITY series telecasts, joining play-by-play announcer Adam Alexander and a fellow Cup counterpart in the booth. To say the least, it is more than just a wise choice of time consumption — it is about seeing his job from a different perspective.
“I have fun doing it,” Logano said. “Our weekends are so short. The amount of time on the racetrack is so short now. When you get practice, you’re done qualifying by 1 o’clock in the afternoon, normally besides this weekend, normally, you’re done by 1 o’clock. Now, what do I do?”
“I’ve always enjoyed getting up there in the booth and talking to the fans and talking about the race, having a good time. It’s always been something I’ve really enjoyed, and I gotta get more and more experience at it. It makes me more comfortable. I like seeing the perspective of the TV broadcasters and what they go through as well as me.”
Editor’s Notes
Harry Loomis contributed to this article on site from Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
