Breaking news

NASCAR Cup

Logano: "Our team is more fired up than ever"

Joey Logano says there’s only one way to approach the rest of the Chase for the Sprint Cup and that’s “looking out the windshield.”

Jim Utter

Edited: Nov 6, 2015, 10:55 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Winner Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Race winner Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Winner Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

In his interview with NASCAR media Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, Logano said he and his Team Penske No. 22 Ford team are more fired up than ever approaching the upcoming races remaining on the 2015 schedule.

There was no yelling, no arguing, they went to work and fixed our race car and we got back out there. Yes, we didn’t gain any points by doing that, but we made an amazing statement

Joey Logano on team's post-crash reaction

Matt Kenseth, then nine laps down, intentionally wrecked Logano while he was leading late in last Sunday’s race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Kenseth has been suspended by NASCAR for the next two races.

Moving past Martinsville

“To be honest, I am not convinced it is a bad thing. Our team is more fired up than ever. I am more focused than ever. I am pumped up about being here at the track today,” Logano said. “What happened last week is what happened last week.

“Is it the way we wanted it to go? No, of course not. Did we get the finish we felt we deserved that day? No, but this team has plenty of confidence coming off three in a row and in position for four. There is plenty of confidence and more drive than there has ever been. I am not convinced this whole thing is a bad thing.”

Logano is faced with the possibility of not advancing to the championship race at Homestead, Fla., and will likely need to win at Texas or Phoenix to ensure a chance to compete for the title.

In the aftermath of last Sunday’s incident, Logano said he’s relied on advice from team owner Roger Penske and others within the organization.

Taking notes

“I am 25 years old and still have a lot to learn right? When you have Roger Penske and Walt Czarnecki (Team Penske executive vice president) as leaders of your race team you listen to them. They have been through every situation that motorsports can present to them,” Logano said.

“Taking their advice is very important in a situation like this. For me, their advice was to look out the windshield. We are not out of this thing and I am not blaming anyone for what happened. We are going to move forward. It could be one heck of a story if we win this thing.”

Logano said what stood out the most was how his team responded to the incident last Sunday.

“There was no yelling, no arguing, they went to work and fixed our race car and we got back out there,” he said. “Yes, we didn’t gain any points by doing that, but we made an amazing statement and I think that is very impressive for a team to do and I feel privileged to be a part of a team like that.”

No. 22 fanbase

Over the past week, Logano said he’s become more aware of the number of race fans that support him and was “disgusted” by the response of some fans in the immediate aftermath of last Sunday’s wreck at Martinsville.

“Instead of listening to the critics and fans that may not like me, I am going to look at the silver lining and know that I have more fans than I ever had before and I appreciate every one of them,” he said.

“They are very good people. I feel like they are not the ones throwing things on the race track. I think they are stand up people and I appreciate having them wearing my t-shirt. That is something I want to have my name involved with, with people like that, and I appreciate having a lot of support on my side.”

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Keselowski sets the pace in Friday practice at Texas

Next article Brad Keselowski earns Texas pole

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

NASCAR Cup Homestead finale to feature full field of 40 cars

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Martinsville II

3 h

NASCAR Cup Homestead finale to feature full field of 40 cars

Data reveals severity of Carson Hocevar's brake-check: "There's no denying it"

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Martinsville II

4 h

Data reveals severity of Carson Hocevar's brake-check: "There's no denying it"

Honda Racing US echoes Porsche urgency over unified 2030 rules framework

IMSA

IMSA IMSA 7 h

Honda Racing US echoes Porsche urgency over unified 2030 rules framework

Toto Wolff: Two sponsors left Mercedes after promoting Kimi Antonelli into F1

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

7 h

Toto Wolff: Two sponsors left Mercedes after promoting Kimi Antonelli into F1

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts