For much of his NASCAR Cup career, Joey Logano played second fiddle or lower to several of his past teammates. At Joe Gibbs Racing, Logano was low man on the totem pole behind Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin.
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When Logano left JGR and moved to Team Penske for the 2013 season, he was No. 2 to Brad Keselowski, who was coming off his only Cup championship in 2012.
But when Keselowski left the Penske fold after the 2021 season to become a driver and co-owner of the rechristened Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK), Logano was finally elevated to No. 1 driver for a team for the first time in his Cup career.
Keselowski’s departure was one of the best things that could have ever happened to Logano, as he would go on to win two of the last three Cup championships (2022 and 2024), to go along with his first Cup title in 2018.
It only took Joey Logano 13 years to go from understudy to the leading man. And now, as he turns 35 later this month (May 24), Logano is not only relishing being No. 1, but also is very thankful for the guidance and leadership Keselowski offered to him.
Ironically, Logano passed Keselowski for No. 23 on the all-time NASCAR Cup wins list (now tied with Bobby Isaac) with Sunday’s win at Texas Motor Speedway.
In his post-race press conference, Logano, sporting a black cowboy hat atop his head, was extremely complimentary to Keselowski, who he considers one of his closest friends in the sport.
“It’s really cool,” Logano said. “I respect Brad as a driver a lot, even more so as a person, more than anything. I consider him a great friend of mine. I don’t think there’s as many people I trust as much as I do in Brad.
“It’s cool that we go out there and race with each other still and we’re able to separate what we do on the racetrack and what our families are like.
“It’s neat to be racing against him for my whole career. We came in at the same time (2009) and I always say he was a big part of getting me here to Team Penske. He was the one that told Roger (Penske) that ‘You need to get Joey to drive.’ I owe a lot to him for saying that.”
Tying Bobby Isaac is noteworthy, but Logano feels he isn’t done yet
Passing Keselowski on the all-time wins list and moving into a tie for 23rd with Isaac, who raced from 1963 through 1976, is a significant milestone, Joey Logano conceded.
“Obviously, Bobby Isaac is a legend in our sport,” Logano said. “It’s neat to keep climbing up through the record books. I don’t look at it that often, but it’s cool to hear it, so thanks for telling me.”
But while Keselowski is now 41 and likely in the final few years of his storied Cup career, Logano said he still has a great deal more to accomplish before he hangs up his steering wheel for good.
He said, “I feel like I’ve still got a ways to go so I don’t look at it a whole bunch, but racking up stats are cool. You don’t know when your last win is or those type of things but it’s neat to rack them up.
“I always say there’s more important things than just racking wins up, you’ve got to do something with them afterwards and make sure you make an impact in people’s lives the best way you can. But the wins definitely help do that.”
