Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the most recent driver to have visited victory lane last time around, Joey Logano is one playoff competitor who is looking to one-up his competition at Watkins Glen International this weekend.
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The #22 Ford Mustang driver will be seen participating in both the Xfinity as well as Cup Series races in a bid to gain experience on the recent changes that have taken place at ‘The Glen.’
The 2.5-mile-long road course has undergone safety improvements in the form of changes to curbing around the track, with the most notable changes at turn 1 and the bus stop chicane. The first turn now sports rumble strips on the exit of the corner to discourage drivers from swinging out wide and attacking the subsequent corner from the runoff area.
The bust stop chicane has also been altered with the big curbs during the sequence of corners being removed in a bid to soften the impacts drivers feel as they attack the corner at speed.
In two turns of the bus stop at Watkins Glen, the curbing was eliminated but then these rumble areas at the apex of the barrier. pic.twitter.com/g2dEFni8E1
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 11, 2024
Logano touched on how his time behind an Xfinity Series car will help him prepare for what the Next-Gen car can and cannot endure during Sunday’s event.
“My thoughts were to try to get more seat time because the track changed. The questions that everyone has is what are the rumble strips like off of one in the carousel and is that still going to be in play or not? So at least I’ll know a little bit before everybody else,” Logano told the media.
He added, “I don’t think we can change anything to the cars or really combat that, but we can at least have a little bit more experience of that piece during the race.”
With NASCAR’s mandatory change of tire compound for Sunday’s event also throwing an unknown into the mix, drivers and teams will also be focussing on Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions heavily this weekend.
“Any time you can make more laps it’s just nice”
Elaborating on the limited amount of track time drivers get in modern-day NASCAR before the start of a race, Logano also touched on the significance of the two practice sessions leading up to the 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen.
However, speaking on why the sessions do not offer Team Penske and the #22 crew any added advantage over their rivals, the 34-year-old said, “It’s just as beneficial for the rest of the teams out there, though. So you don’t gain an advantage but I think these days, any time you can make more laps it’s just kind of nice. As a racecar driver these days you don’t get to make many laps anymore so it will be a little bit of fun.”
With Logano heading into the weekend having already punched his ticket into the subsequent Round of 12 by winning at Atlanta last Sunday, the #22 team will be relaxed going into this Sunday’s race.
They will be hoping to build upon their championship challenge focussing on the coming rounds which might need improvement from the team’s and driver’s side.
This approach has worked well for the team in the past as well when they similarly won their 2022 title by turning up the heat during the postseason.
