Joey Logano has been a competitor long enough to understand exactly what athletes put their bodies and minds through to be successful in their sport. They put in a lot of work and make sacrifices while pushing themselves, trying to stay sharp, stay healthy, and stay out of danger or injuries.
Advertisement
That understanding makes Logano respect athletes more naturally than celebrities. It isn’t stemming from disrespect for actors, performers, or entertainers, though. He simply relates more to people who live inside the same pressure cooker he does.
So, if Logano had to choose whom he would rather host at a racetrack, he’d pick an athlete without hesitation. Back in 2018, in Jeff Gluck’s 12 Questions segment, Logano was asked which celebrity he’d be most excited to host at a race.
Logano’s reaction said everything: A long sigh and a big pause. When Gluck asked if that response meant he wasn’t big on celebrities, Logano admitted as much.
“Not really. I mean, I think it’s great we’re bringing celebrities to the racetrack, that means there’s a lot of great things that come along with that for our sport… I get excited about meeting people, a lot of times athletes, because I like asking them a bunch of questions,” Logano had said, before explaining that his conversations with athletes tend to dive deeper than the usual meet-and-greet pleasantries.
Logano loves to talk and understand how other athletes shoulder pressure, balance their families with the weight of their careers, prepare themselves mentally for competition, and manage the nonstop grind. As a three-time Cup champion, he sees pieces of his own routine in theirs.
That connection makes those interactions meaningful in ways a celebrity drop-in rarely does. That’s why, expanding on whom he would like to meet outside the sports world, Logano named Tom Brady as the kind of person he’d genuinely enjoy talking to. That, of course, largely had to do with his loyalty to the New England Patriots.
For Logano, the typical celebrity appearance at the racetrack doesn’t offer the kind of exchange he values. He noted that race day responsibilities leave him little time to socialize anyway.
Shaking a hand and saying, “Hey, thanks for coming out,” doesn’t mean much to him when he barely has a moment to breathe between obligations. Logano would rather sit down for dinner, ask real questions, and actually get to know someone than engage in the quick thanks for being here routine that never leads anywhere.
