NASCAR is not just about winning. It’s also about people. Whether it’s drivers, team members or fans, everybody is special. Three-time and defending NASCAR Cup champion Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford Mustang honored one very special person in Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.
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Logano paid tribute to a seven-year-old young man — known simply as “Liam” — who passed away just two hours after Logano had won last week’s race in Texas. He decided to honor the young race fan with a special sticker that was attached to the side window vent of Logano’s car in Sunday’s race.
Logano spoke to FOX Sports prior to Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, dedicating the event in Liam’s memory.
“Liam is an incredible kid, incredible family,” Logano said. The Penske driver shared the backstory of how he met the kid at the Charlotte Roval last year. Logano and his wife invited Liam’s family over to their house back then, with their kids playing together well past bedtime.
“He fought cancer for quite some time. Unfortunately, his cancer was just too much and he passed away two hours after the race last week,” Logano continued, recounting what Liam did during his life’s final few hours.
“His mom put a post out there saying how one of his last moments of joy was sitting there on the couch with her watching his favorite driver win,” Logano said before shedding light on the bigger things in life.
“I said to our team earlier (this week) that sometimes you don’t realize what you’re doing and that there’s something way bigger. We thought that win was big for our team and for our fans, but when you think about little Liam having his last few moments with us enjoying that victory, how much deeper it really was,” he added poignantly. He suggested that the sticker was a symbolic gesture of Liam riding with the No. 22 team.
Joey Logano: More than just a racer
Logano’s care for and connection with children is nothing unusual. The Connecticut native has been involved in a number of activities to help others.
Like several other NASCAR drivers, including Greg Biffle, Logano played a key role in last fall’s Hurricane Helene rehabilitation and recovery. Logano’s foundation awarded more than $250,000 to aid the victims.
He gave away two brand new Ford vehicles to individuals who lost their vehicles in hurricane-related flooding. He also donated $5,000 to the Crossnore Communities for Children center in Morganton, North Carolina.
