Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano spoke about the time he signed with Team Penske back in 2013.
Even before the Cup Series season finale race, Logano booked himself as the favorite to win it as he had more time to prepare for the race than the other three drivers.
He followed up his claim by winning it, of course, which is his second title, both of that coming with Team Penske.
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He joined the organization back in 2023 under unique circumstances. AJ Allmendinger was released by Team Penske on Aug. 1, 2012, after a failed drug test, while replacement Sam Hornish went back to racing in the Xfinity Series. This left a vacant spot to fill for Penske’s Cup Series team. And they brought Logano into the fold.
“It’s crazy to think it wasn’t even a decision that I had to make,” Logano said about signing with Penske. “It was the only choice. There was no thought that went into it. It was all I had. It was an amazing opportunity when you think about it; being able to partner with a company like Shell and with Roger Penske. I was 23 years old. I didn’t really know what the next steps were in my life a couple of weeks before that.
“Things work out in a certain way for a reason. That’s why you have to keep your faith. You have to understand that things happen for a certain reason and it’s hard to see that in the moment. But when you fast forward 10 years from then and you look at what we’ve accomplished as a team, it’s nuts to even think about it.”
With his recent title win, Logano is drawing comparisons with NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson. However, Logano distanced himself from a such comparison but expected to have won more championships than he currently has.
“I don’t know if I can compare to Jimmie Johnson,” Logano said. “I appreciate it, but I don’t know. I feel OK about my career so far. I look at it and say we should have four championships instead of two.
When Johnson was the same age as Logano, 32, he already had three titles and 40 wins, while Logano has two titles and 31 wins. However, Johnson went on to add two more titles.