Joey Logano
| Joey Logano | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievements | 2007 NASCAR Busch East Series Champion 2009 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| Car no., team |
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| 2009 position | 20th | ||||||
| Best finish | 20th - 2009 | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Sylvania 300 (Loudon) | ||||||
| First win | 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (Loudon) | ||||||
| Last win | 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (Loudon) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| Car no., team |
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| 2009 position | 14th | ||||||
| Best finish | 14th - 2009 | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Heluva Good! 200 (Dover) | ||||||
| First win | 2008 Meijer 300 (Kentucky) | ||||||
| Last win | 2010 Meijer 300 (Kentucky) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
| Best finish | 91st - 2008 | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Mountain Dew 250 (Talladega) | ||||||
Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano (born May 24, 1990), nicknamed "sliced bread"(as in the greatest thing since) by Randy LaJoie,[1] is an American race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Logano's first major NASCAR win came during the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway in just his third start in the 2008 Nationwide Series. Logano made history becoming the youngest driver to win a Nationwide Series race at 18 years, 21 days old. The previous youngest was Casey Atwood in 1999 at 18 years, 313 days.[2] Logano became the youngest winner in Sprint Cup Series history when he won the 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway at 19 years, 35 days. The previous youngest was teammate Kyle Busch in 2005 at 20 years, 125 days. [3] Logano is now the youngest winner in two of NASCAR'S three top divisions. Logano is also is the first NASCAR driver to be born in the 1990s to compete in NASCAR's three major divisions.
Racing career
Early racing career
Logano is the youngest child, born into a tight-knit Italian-American family.[4] He began his racing career in 1996 as a 6-year-old quarter midget racer living in Connecticut. In 1997 Logano won his first Eastern Grand National Championship in the Jr. Stock Car Division. He followed it up with a Jr. Honda Division Championship in 1998 and in early 1999 a Lt. Mod. Division Championship. Later in 1999 Logano won 3 New England Regional Championships in the Sr. Stock, Lt. Mod., Lt. B. divisions.
Logano's family then moved to Georgia. The transaction allowed Logano to win a Bandolero Bandits Series Championship. At age 10 he went on to racing Legend cars, where he set a 14-consecutive winning streak track record at Atlanta Motor Speedway, along with a Lions National Championship. At age 12, Logano won the Southeast-based Pro Legends National championship. Afterwards he spent a couple years racing various forms of pavement Late Model racing.[5]
Veteran NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Mark Martin, who was driving for Roush at the time, called Joey Logano "the real deal". [6] When Logano was 15, Martin said "I am high on Joey Logano because I am absolutely, 100-percent positive, without a doubt that he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR. I'm positive. There's no doubt in mind."[7]
In 2005, he ran in 1 FASCAR Pro Truck Series race at New Smyrna Speedway, started 1st and finished 2nd. He raced in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, competing seven times in the Northern Division, and winning once at Mansfield, two Southern Division races, and five Championship Series races.[6] The following season, he continued racing in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series. He raced in twelve Southern Division races, winning twice at South Georgia Motorsports Park and at USA International Speedway. He ran in one USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Northern Division race and six Championship Series races.
In 2007, a new NASCAR rule allowed drivers 16 and up to race in the Grand National Division, allowing Logano to compete in the series. He finished the 2007 Grand National season with 13 starts in Camping World East Series, winning 5 races, 3 poles, 10 Top 5's, and 10 Top 10's, and winning the championship with wins at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Iowa Speedway, two wins at New Hampshire International Speedway, and Adirondack International Speedway. He also has made 1 NASCAR West Series start at Phoenix International Raceway, where he started 2nd and won in the #10 Joe Gibbs Driven Toyota. On October 20, 2007, Logano won the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway, leading 87 laps and held off Peyton Sellers for the win.
On May 4, 2008, Logano won the Carolina 500 during his ARCA RE/MAX Series debut with Venturini Motorsports in racing's return to Rockingham Speedway. Logano also made his NASCARCraftsman Truck Series debut, at Talladega, in the Mountain Dew 250, starting 6th and finishing 26th. It has been his only start to date in the Truck Series. Logano attempted to defend his Toyota All-Star Showdown title won in the 2007 season in January 2009 (the 2008 season race), and was disqualified for crashing into Peyton Sellers in an unsportsmanlike manner on the final lap in an attempt to win the race.
Nationwide Series career
Logano made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Dover International Speedway in the 2008 Heluva Good! 200 [8].
Logano became the youngest winner in Nationwide history by winning his first major NASCAR series race at the 2008 Meijer 300 in only his third start, previous holder of the achievement was Casey Atwood [9] On July 10, 2009, Logano won the Dollar General 300 by deciding not to pit unlike his teammate Kyle Busch who took four tires with twelve laps to go. By leading the pack, the clean air made it easy to beat Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch by five car lengths making it the first time he won at the racetrack in Chicago. He took his fifth series victory at the Kansas Speedway after a late race pass over teammate Kyle Busch. He earned his sixth Nationwide series victory at Auto Club Speedway.In April of 2009 Joey won the nascar nationwide series race at nashville
Sprint Cup Series career
On August 25, 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing called a press conference to announce that Logano would drive the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the 2009 Sprint Cup Series.[10] Logano replaced Tony Stewart who left JGR to drive for his own team, Stewart Haas Racing. Logano was also a candidate for the 2008 Rookie of the Year award, and was scheduled to make his first Sprint Cup start in the #02 Home Depot car part-time throughout the rest of the 2008 season, starting at Richmond.[10]
On August 28, Hall of Fame Racing announced that Logano would drive five races in their #96 car during the 2008 Sprint Cup Series.[11] His official debut was in the New Hampshire on September 14, by starting that race, he became the first NASCAR driver to run a cup race that was born in the 1990s (born in 1990). On September 5, Joey Logano made his first appearance in a Sprint Cup car at Richmond International Raceway in the two hour long Friday practice for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Due to Tropical Storm Hanna, qualifying was rained out. A NASCAR rule states that when qualifying is rained out, the top 43 drivers in owners points are then set for the race. Logano was not in the top 43 in owners points, so he did not get to debut.
Logano is the youngest post-modern-era driver to compete full time in NASCAR's top division (Records show drivers as young as 15 competing in NASCAR. A 2002 rule change mandated that drivers had to be 18 to compete in a national touring series; 16-year-olds can compete in regional divisions such as the Camping World East and a 2010 adjustment allowed 14-year-olds to compete in the Whelen All-American Series).
In 2009, Logano finished 4th in his duel, and he would become the youngest driver to ever start the Daytona 500, however, he would crash midway through the race.[12] Logano's first three starts in the Sprint Cup Series saw three finishes of 30th place or worse. At Las Vegas in his sixth start in the Sprint Cup Series, Logano finished 13th. At Talladega in April, Logano finished ninth for his first top-ten finish; later that month at Darlington, he led 19 laps late in the race and finished ninth. Logano was the fan vote for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, and finished in 8th place.
On June 28, 2009, Logano won the rain-shortened Lenox Tools 301 at Loudon, New Hampshire, beating 4-time cup champion Jeff Gordon and former Home Depot #20 driver Tony Stewart, becoming the youngest winner ever in NASCAR's top racing series at the age of only nineteen years, one month and four days old.
On November 22, 2009 Logano was crowned the official 2009 Sprint Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of The Year, having beat out other rookie Scott Speed.[13]
Logano won his first Coors Light Pole Award on March 19, 2010 for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Documentary
In 2009, Logano was featured in "DRIVE" a documentary on quarter midget racing.
References
- ^ SceneDaily.com: Young phenom Joey Logano ready for Nationwide Series
- ^ Logano makes history as youngest Nationwide Series winner
- ^ NASCAR.COM: Logano wins first as rain shortens New Hampshire
- ^ http://www.jeffspeer.com/Logano/Logano_May_09.pdf
- ^ Joey Logano early racing career records
- ^ a b JoeyLoganoRacing.com: Biography
- ^ "The next big thing"; October 23, 2007; Jay Hart; Yahoo Sports; Retrieved October 25, 2007
- ^ Bernstien, Viv. "Logano, 18, to Make Nationwide Debut ", New York Times, May 25, 2008, accessed June 26, 2009.
- ^ Associated Press "SPORTS BRIEFING | AUTO RACING; 18-Year-Old Wins ", The New York Times, June 15, 2008, accessed June 26, 2009.
- ^ a b Logano was named to replace Stewart in No. 20
- ^ Logano to drive five Cup races for Hall of Fame team
- ^ Joey Logano to become youngest Daytona 500 starter
- ^ Logano named 2009 ROTY
External links
- Official Website
- Joe Gibbs Racing's Official Joey Logano Website
- Official Website for "DRIVE" the Movie
