NASCAR drivers circle dates on the calendar for stops like Daytona and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Still, when Darlington rolls around, drivers and fans sit up and take notice, specifically for all the throwback schemes the race features. The race is scheduled for March 22, 2026, and with the Goodyear 400 in sight, three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano joined Darlington Raceway officials at the Governor’s Mansion to beat the drum for the event.
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Logano knows his way around Darlington. He won the Goodyear 400 there on May 8, 2022, running a throwback scheme that replicated his first quarter-midget car. But as he told it, his first trip to the track takes the cake as the most special and coolest moment.
During the media interaction, Logano said, “The first time I went around there, I was with Cale Yarborough, and that’s probably one of the coolest moments of my life. There’s a two-seater race car down there, and we’re promoting the race much like we are today. And Cale was there, and he gave me a ride.”
“And I remember just sitting in the passenger seat watching Cale Yarborough drive me around Darlington, thinking this is the most surreal moment and the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. And it’s just fun, fun doing that that day and getting to know him a little bit.” Last season, the No. 22 team tipped its cap with a throwback scheme to Yarborough’s car.
The moment dates back to 2009, when Logano was still a rookie. It is a memory he keeps close, a young driver trying to find his footing while soaking up lessons from one of the sport’s Sunday giants.
He has spoken about riding with Yarborough as an experience he will not trade for anything. Logano even admitted to picking up tips during those laps that he still leans on when the heat is on. And when Logano looks back at that ride, he sees a thread that runs from then to now. For him, honoring Yarborough and his family through that scheme last year was his way of paying respect.
During the talks, Logano even narrated why it holds a special meaning to him and drew a line between his and Yarborough’s paths. Just as he won his third championship in 2024, Yarborough is also a three-time champion.
The #22 Team Penske driver also admitted those first laps from the passenger seat were a thrill, but sliding behind the wheel was another ballgame altogether. He understands that Darlington can bite back, and it is a place where drivers earn every inch.
And there is a legitimate history behind that claim because Logano himself has survived the chaos. Four years ago, Logano’s lone win at Darlington came with sparks flying. With two laps left, he had to nudge leader William Byron into the wall to grab the lead, snapping a 40-race drought. He later framed the move as payback, saying Byron had earlier put him against the wall.
For now Logano is getting ready to go left and right at COTA on the upcoming Sunday, where his average finish stands at 19.4 in five starts, and has managed to finish one race in top 5.
