Regardless of whispers surrounding retirement for seasoned contenders like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, whether or not on account of weakening type or advancing age, Joey Logano, at simply 35, finds himself in neither boat. But, he has been probed about his retirement ideas.
With two championships below his belt within the final three seasons, Logano stays firmly within the hunt and exhibits no indicators of hanging up the helmet anytime quickly. Nonetheless, he admits there’s one line he gained’t cross.
Talking forward of the Dover weekend throughout Ford’s media availability, Logano drew a line within the sand and stated, “I all the time say so long as I can win. I actually really feel like that’s the usual for me. I really like racing, however I actually love successful much more.
“If I can go race different issues and win, I’ll go and try this, however my dream has all the time been to be a NASCAR driver, be a NASCAR champion, and if I can win and be a assist to my staff, then I need to stick round.”
Nonetheless, the second he looks like lifeless weight, on or off the monitor, Logano stated he gained’t hesitate to step apart, understanding it’s time to get out of the best way if he’s now not bringing something to the desk. His loyalty to Roger Penske runs deep, and Logano made it clear that he needs to carry up these round him, not maintain them again.
“I don’t need to stick round and be a kind of guys the place individuals say, ‘Man, he went a number of years too lengthy,’” he added. “You don’t need to be that man.” Conscious of the bodily and psychological toll that comes with getting old, Logano acknowledged that no athlete has remained on the high into their fifties.
“One thing modifications sooner or later,” he stated. “However proper now, I nonetheless really feel as recent as ever. I really feel as sharp as ever. I’m pushed as a lot as ever. I nonetheless care. I nonetheless get emotional about issues.”
That drive, that fireplace within the stomach, speaks volumes. And for now, it’s clear, retirement isn’t simply off the desk; it’s not even within the rearview mirror for the No. 22 Penske driver.
Logano on reaching a milestone
Throughout 18 seasons at NASCAR’s highest degree, Joey Logano has lined up for 596 Cup Sequence begins, collected 37 wins, and logged 291 top-ten finishes. Now, together with his 600th begin approaching, the Connecticut-born stalwart is on the cusp of one more feather in his cap.
Initially brushing it off as simply one other quantity, Logano admitted the importance hit him with time. He stated, “At first look, I assumed, ‘Effectively, it’s simply begins.’ However then if you begin serious about it, to have the ability to be round in a sport as an athlete competing at a high degree for 16-plus years, and hitting 600 begins, it’s fairly unimaginable to have a profession that lengthy. It’s one thing that I take some pleasure in. I’m pleased with that, to have the ability to hit this marker. It’s a number of begins.”
Logano additionally recalled watching Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. closing in on the 600 mark when he reached his three hundredth begin, considering, “Geez, that’s double the quantity of races as me. That’s loopy.”
But, within the blink of a watch, the tables have turned. “It’s been a heck of a journey,” Logano mirrored. “This sport has been superior to me and my household, and I’m proud to be part of it.”
