After taking over the NASCAR Champions journal from Kyle Larson following his 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship victory, Joey Logano eventually passed it on to his teammate Ryan Blaney last year. While one might assume that their shared allegiance to Team Penske would temper their competitiveness, Logano’s entry in the journal made it clear that wouldn’t be the case.
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Even though Logano and Blaney have secured back-to-back titles for the team, and despite not placing bets on the outcome this time, Logano admitted to leaving a cheeky message in the Champions Journal for his teammate. He shared writing, “I hope you enjoy your championship, ‘cause I’m not gonna let it happen again. There was a lot of nice words in there, but I had to give him a hard time a little bit!”
It will be intriguing to see what Blaney writes in the journal when it circles back to Logano this year. The tradition, initiated by Jimmie Johnson back in 2011, was inspired by the custom of U.S. presidents leaving notes for their successors, enabling champions of the sport to record their reflections on their reigns.
When Jimmie Johnson inaugurated this tradition, he also injected a playful tone like Logano, writing, “Hello, fellow NASCAR champion. After winning five straight championships, I thought it would be a cool idea to start a journal to pass along the new champion every year. This way we can share our success with each other.”
It would be safe to say, however, that with the level of confidence in his abilities that Logano has, he did successfully predict edging out his teammate in 2024.
NASCAR insider reveals Logano’s winning formula
Veteran sports journalist Jeff Gluck, working with The Athletic, while in conversation with Logano, pointed out the champion’s stellar defensive tactics. Despite Ryan Blaney having a significantly faster car during the title-deciding race at Phoenix, Logano maintained the lead until the very end. Reflecting on this, Gluck remarked,
“You know, they call Sergio Perez in F1 the Minister of Defense. But I think you’re actually the real Minister of Defense. I mean, it’s incredible what you do. How can you describe to the listeners how you were able to hang on in a situation like that?”
Logano, looking back on those moments, mentioned that he knew beating Blaney wasn’t just about speed. It was about outsmarting him in the mental game, mastering the pressure, and nailing the details of air-blocking him, a phenomenon which the Next Gen car puts great emphasis on.
In the final restart on Lap 259, Logano executed perfectly, surging past Blaney, Bell, Byron, and others to secure the lead. His spotter, Coleman Pressley, played a key role in helping him keep the #12 Ford behind. Ultimately, the #22 driver clinched the title with a dramatic turnaround from the start of his season.
