“Wish We Had More of Them”: Joey Logano Explains Why Richmond is a Racing Purist’s “Favorite Track”

NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) shakes hands with fans during driver introductions prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.

Team Penske superstar Joey Logano was one of the winners at Richmond Raceway on Saturday. He started the Cook Out 400 from 38th place and ended up finishing in fourth after a scintillating display of speed. He spoke to the press in the aftermath and explained why the unique 0.75-mile track has to be the favorite venue to race at for any racing purist.

He said, “This track has a lot of racing room. I think it puts on great racing. You have to be a purist to love it. If you want the wrecks, the restarts, and all that stuff, well this isn’t your track.

“But if you like pure racing and seeing how strategy plays out, the drivers and teams managing their cars and all that, which is personally what I love, this should be your favorite track. Wish we had more of them but it was pretty fun.” 

Logano had a big mission to accomplish in the race after a tire failure during qualifying sent him into the wall. He couldn’t set a lap and was forced to start from the back of the field. He acknowledged that the entire ordeal was frustrating, but kept his head down and focused on the job at hand. Not wasting any time, he charged to 15th place at the end of Stage 2.

His speed remained consistent from thereon and resulted in his fifth top-10 finish at the track over the last six races there. Logano has produced only seven top-10 finishes over the first 25 races of the year. This result set the tone for a powered-up playoffs, and the world knows how dangerous it is to let Logano gain momentum this time of the year.

Kyle Petty doesn’t believe Logano can repeat playoff magic

Team Penske drivers haven’t been the best on the field in the past three regular seasons. But when the playoffs roll around, they turn into different beasts. This formula is what carried Logano to two championships in 2022 and 2024. However, Kyle Petty doesn’t trust that the same will happen in 2025.

He said on Go PRN Live, “We know that the No. 12 car, Ryan Blaney, has speed. It has speed week in and week out. I’ve just not seen speed from Joey. That is the one thing that concerns me about the No. 22 car. And the inconsistency of (Austin) Cindric when you look at him, but when you look at the No. 22 car of Joey Logano, they’ve just not.”

Beating the odds and closing the mouths of naysayers isn’t something new for Logano to do. It remains to be seen if he will prove himself worthy of being champion this year.

Post Edited By: Abhishek Ramesh
Cook Out 400 Joey Logano Richmond Raceway

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Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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