Joey Logano’s championship run last season caught the entire NASCAR community off guard. But for him, the story ran deeper. He believed the stars had aligned for him, and credited a young fan named Liam for sparking that turn of fate.
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The No.22 Penske driver was out of the top eight in the standings until the Charlotte Roval, where Alex Bowman’s car was disqualified for being below the minimum weight and handed Logano a lifeline. From there, he turned the tide and won his third Cup title.
Speaking on the Marty & McGee show, Logano recalled that while driving home, disheartened that his season had likely ended, he came across a Facebook post about a seven-year-old fan named Liam, who was courageously battling cancer.
Liam had attended the Charlotte Roval race hoping to see his favorite driver. Logano, who had wanted to meet his seven-year-old fan for a long time, reached out to Liam’s mother and invited the family to his home.
Liam visited, played foosball with Logano’s son, and soaked in every moment. During that visit, Logano received a phone call from Roger Penske delivering the unexpected news — they were back in the Round of 8. That moment, to Logano, felt like more than a coincidence. What followed was momentum that carried him to the championship.
Asked Joey Logano how he reacted last fall to learning he was back in the NASCAR playoff, after Alex Bowman’s car was too light in post race inspection at Charlotte.
A beautiful story. @joeylogano pic.twitter.com/zeRhmxlyrS
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) May 17, 2025
Fast forward to a few weeks earlier this season, Logano won at Texas. But just hours after that race, Liam passed away. The heartbreaking loss, however, came only after one final moment of joy.
Logano shared the touching moment, saying, “We won in Texas a couple of weeks ago, two hours later, Liam passed away. And one of the last things that his mom posted on Facebook was… that his last couple of hours, his last piece of joy was sitting on the couch with his mom, watching his favorite driver [Logano] win the race.”
“And it just put everything to perspective for me. That there’s just something bigger. Like, there’s just a reason why things are happening,” Logano reflected on the inner meaning of certain life-changing events.
To honor Liam’s memory, Logano carried a special sticker on the side window vent of his car during the Kansas race, where he finished ninth.
