Despite whispers surrounding retirement for seasoned contenders like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, whether due to weakening form or advancing age, Joey Logano, at just 35, finds himself in neither boat. Yet, he has been probed about his retirement thoughts.
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With two championships under his belt in the last three seasons, Logano remains firmly in the hunt and shows no signs of hanging up the helmet anytime soon. Still, he admits there’s one line he won’t cross.
Speaking ahead of the Dover weekend during Ford’s media availability, Logano drew a line in the sand and said, “I always say as long as I can win. I really feel like that’s the standard for me. I love racing, but I really love winning a lot more.
“If I can go race other things and win, I’ll go and do that, but my dream has always been to be a NASCAR driver, be a NASCAR champion, and if I can win and be a help to my team, then I want to stick around.”
However, the moment he feels like dead weight, on or off the track, Logano said he won’t hesitate to step aside, knowing it’s time to get out of the way if he’s no longer bringing anything to the table. His loyalty to Roger Penske runs deep, and Logano made it clear that he wants to lift up those around him, not hold them back.
“I don’t want to stick around and be one of those guys where people say, ‘Man, he went a few years too long,’” he added. “You don’t want to be that guy.” Aware of the physical and mental toll that comes with aging, Logano acknowledged that no athlete has remained at the top into their fifties.
“Something changes at some point,” he said. “But right now, I still feel as fresh as ever. I feel as sharp as ever. I’m driven as much as ever. I still care. I still get emotional about things.”
That drive, that fire in the belly, speaks volumes. And for now, it’s clear, retirement isn’t just off the table; it’s not even in the rearview mirror for the No. 22 Penske driver.
Logano on reaching a milestone
Across 18 seasons at NASCAR’s highest level, Joey Logano has lined up for 596 Cup Series starts, collected 37 wins, and logged 291 top-ten finishes. Now, with his 600th start approaching, the Connecticut-born stalwart is on the cusp of yet another feather in his cap.
Initially brushing it off as just another number, Logano admitted the significance hit him with time. He said, “At first glance, I thought, ‘Well, it’s just starts.’ But then when you start thinking about it, to be able to be around in a sport as an athlete competing at a top level for 16-plus years, and hitting 600 starts, it’s pretty incredible to have a career that long. It’s something that I take some pride in. I’m proud of that, to be able to hit this marker. It’s a lot of starts.”
Logano also recalled watching Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. closing in on the 600 mark when he reached his 300th start, thinking, “Geez, that’s double the amount of races as me. That’s crazy.”
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the tables have turned. “It’s been a heck of a ride,” Logano reflected. “This sport has been awesome to me and my family, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
