Joey Logano Talks Wins, Contracts, and Team Penske at Dover International Speedway.

Joey Logano chauffer of the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion talks to media at Dover INternational Speedway. PatSportsPhoto - Dean Patton Photo

Dover, DE – RIS – Joey Logano meets with the media at Dover International Speedway to discuss his win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, his Contract Extension, and Team Penske.

Joey Logano the chauffer of the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion was speaking about last week’s victory and what kind of relief it is to know that he is already in the Contender Round of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Championship for 2014.

 “It’s nice to be able to get that win in my home area.  We had a really big week leading into that.  We had a couple foundation events.  We opened up an extension basically to the Connection, which is a homeless community up in Middletown, CT, so that was a great week leading up to Loudon and then topping it off with a win was kind of a dream weekend that I’ll never forget.”

With Team Penske, his thoughts on a contract extension were also expressed - “It’s really nice because I’ve been through kind of the down parts of the sport and now we’ve obviously won a few races this year and it’s been a lot of fun.  To be able to extend my relationship with Team Penske is a dream come true.  The last couple years have been really good.  I feel like I’ve found myself a home over there.  I feel like this 22 team is awesome.  It’s a great team to work with, working with Todd and basically everyone at Team Penske, working with Brad, I feel like all of that put together has been very successful, so it makes sense to try to prolong that as long as possible and to be able to get this extension done and be able to focus in on the Chase is good.”

Joey was also asked about the Penske Organization and what makes it tick - “There’s a lot.  You asked about what makes Team Penske run well and it’s the people.  All the teams have seven-post.  All the teams have wind tunnel time.  All the teams have sims.  They all have this stuff.  Everyone has the same things and the same tools, but it’s the people that run the tools and operate them is where the difference is.  And I think having that team chemistry between both race teams – the 2 and the 22 – I think having it within the 22 team, all of us the way we work together and the attitude we have when we get to the race track – I think we’re all on the same page.  I think that’s important.  When you have someone that’s way over here and the other team is over here, or guys are pulling apart from each other, that’s a recipe for disaster if you ask me.  So making sure we all work well and the people that we put in the right places, having the right people there, is the biggest deal.”

Joey Logano is now 24 years of age, he has been running in NASCAR for six seasons and he is very comfortable with where he is at. The rookies coming in to NASCAR are not much younger than he is now, and he already has six years in a seat. It has not always been a easy sit to fit…. Just five years ago he took one wild ride right here at Dover rolling over and over between turns three and four. A few short years ago he and Clint Bowyer tangled in Dover’s homestretch with another spectacular accident in a NASCAR Nationwide event also here at Dover. It may not be his best track, but you can bet Joey will be a contender and don’t think he’s not capable of winning the 45th Annual AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway.

It is early in the weekend event, but I have learned never count on the obvious, and never think the past will repeat itself when it comes to trouble on any track. I am sure that Joey Logano and his crew chief; Todd Gordon, have a number of tools and tricks in the bag for this weekend.

See you at the track.