A fresh season of Cup Series racing is set to begin with the Clash at the Bowman Gray Stadium this weekend. One of the main competitors to look forward to is the reigning champion, Joey Logano. He is only accustomed to winning this exhibition event, reaching victory lane in 2017 and 2022, but is he dying to do so again in 2025?
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He told the press during a recent Media Availability that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he didn’t win at the Madhouse. However, he will still be looking to kick the year off on the right foot. He said, “The pressure feels a lot different when you go there, only because there’s nothing to lose, really per se, and everything to win.”
He added, “There are a lot of reasons to want to go race, but if something was to happen, it’s not the end of the world.” Multiple factors urge him to race in the Clash. The trophy, the honor of being the first victor in some time at Bowman Gray, and building fresh momentum, to name a few. But these aren’t advantages that he can’t live without.
“If you win, awesome,” he noted. “If you don’t win, yeah, you might be mad for a few hours, but you’re gonna get over it and start thinking about Daytona.” He believes that most of his colleagues will have the same view as him. The Daytona 500 falls on February 16, a mere number of days after the Clash, allowing little time for drivers to cry over a bad performance.
What is keeping Joey Logano from hearing criticisms
The Team Penske driver will head into the 2025 season to prove his credentials to be a Cup Series champion beyond doubt. There have been a lot of criticisms against him for taking advantage of the playoff system to win his 2024 title. Performing at a consistently high form this upcoming year will silence those naysayers.
But then, Logano doesn’t really appear to be caring a lot about the negative shots. He told Bob Pockrass in a recent interview that he is unable to hear his critics since his trophies echo around him. His words went, “To be honest with you, Bob, I can’t hear it well because my trophies, they kind of like echo around me. So, I can’t hear them. It’s kinda crazy.”
The nod to NHL legend Patrick Roy’s infamous comeback was loved by fans on social media and they expressed strong support to him. It will be interesting to see how Logano deals with his haters on the race track.
