The 0.75-mile Richmond Raceway is one of Joey Logano’s best tracks. Throughout his career, he has conquered it twice and secured 14 top-5 finishes. As he puts his race suit on to go race on the asphalt surface once again he has one person to thank for the expertise he has gained — his former teammate Brad Keselowski. He opened up on why during a recent press conference.
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Logano joined Team Penske in 2013, a year after Keselowski had won the team its first championship. The duo spent nearly a decade racing alongside each other during which time Keselowski shared exemplary wisdom. Part of his teachings were the tricks to navigate Richmond. Logano tips his hat to the same when asked about his average finish rate which is under 10 on the track.
He said, “Honestly, I learned a lot from [Brad Keselowski], when he was my teammate, on how to get around that place. I was able to use that for quite a few years.” Interestingly, Keselowski himself has only two wins at Richmond and doesn’t stand ahead of Logano on the statbook. So, it cannot be him alone who is the reason for the 2021 champion’s records.
The other factor that played a role in this is the mind and skill of crew chief Paul Wolfe. Logano added, “I think [crew chief] Paul [Wolfe] puts together a really good car on tracks that have more worn-out surfaces [and] tires wear out quickly. That helps. I think we kind of understand that place pretty well. We’ve consistently had top-five cars there.” The team’s earlier visit to the track ended with a runner-up finish.
Keselowski vs Logano: Who has been the better driver for Team Penske?
Apart from winning the 2012 Cup Series championship, Keselowski secured 33 wins, 127 top-5s, and 206 top-10s as a driver for Team Penske. He also won the 2010 Nationwide Series championship under the banner. His championship came with Dodge, the team’s manufacturer before Ford came into the picture. For all that he has done, his numbers wane in comparison to Logano’s.
Logano has won two championships, in 2018 and 2021, for Penske. He has 31 wins, 148 top-5s, and 240 top-10s as well. Away from the comparison, both drivers have contributed a huge part to the team’s legacy. Their playoff spots in the ongoing season are already secure heading into this weekend. Regardless of that, they’ll be hoping to add one Richmond victory to their resumes.
