Joey Logano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joey Logano |
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Logano at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
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| Born | Joseph Thomas Logano May 24, 1990 Middletown, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||
| Achievements | 2018, 2022, 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion 2007 Busch East Series Champion Youngest Xfinity Series Race Winner 18 years, 21 days Youngest Sprint Cup Series race Winner 19 years, 35 days 2015 Daytona 500 winner 2024 Daytona 500 pole winner Won all three races in the 2015 Chase for the Cup Round of 12 (Charlotte, Kansas, Talladega), first driver to have "swept" a full round of races in the Playoffs 2016, 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race winner 2017, 2022 Busch Light Clash Winner 2019, 2020, 2023 Bluegreen Vacations Duel winner |
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| Awards | 2009 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 579 races run over 17 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 22 (Team Penske) | ||||||
| 2024 position | 1st | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2018, 2022, 2024) | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Sylvania 300 (Loudon) | ||||||
| Last race | 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| First win | 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (Loudon) | ||||||
| Last win | 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (Phoenix) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 179 races run over 13 years | |||||||
| 2019 position | 82nd | ||||||
| Best finish | 8th (2010) | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Heluva Good! 200 (Dover) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Darlington) | ||||||
| First win | 2008 Meijer 300 (Kentucky) | ||||||
| Last win | 2018 Zippo 200 at The Glen (Watkins Glen) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 9 races run over 6 years | |||||||
| 2023 position | 85th | ||||||
| Best finish | 83rd (2015) | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Mountain Dew 250 (Talladega) | ||||||
| Last race | 2023 Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt (Bristol Dirt) | ||||||
| First win | 2015 Kroger 250 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| Last win | 2023 Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt (Bristol Dirt) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of November 10, 2024. | |||||||
Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Team Penske, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
Joey Logano is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, winning in 2018, 2022, and 2024. He also holds records for being the youngest winner in two of NASCAR's top racing series. He won his first major NASCAR race in 2008 at Kentucky Speedway. This made him the youngest driver to win a Nationwide Series race. In 2009, he became the youngest winner in Cup Series history at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He is also the first NASCAR driver born in the 1990s to compete in all three major NASCAR divisions. In 2015, he became the second-youngest winner of the famous Daytona 500 race.
Contents
- Early Racing Days: How Joey Logano Started
- Racing in the Xfinity and Truck Series
- NASCAR Cup Series Journey
- Starting with Joe Gibbs Racing
- Moving to Team Penske: A New Chapter
- 2014: A Breakout Season
- 2015: Daytona 500 Victory
- 2016: Close to the Championship
- 2017: A Challenging Year
- 2018: First Championship Victory
- 2019: Defending the Title
- 2020: Back in the Championship Hunt
- 2021: Bristol Dirt Race Win
- 2022: Second Championship Victory
- 2023: Early Playoff Exit
- 2024: Third Championship and Daytona 500 Pole
- Beyond the Track: Media and Personal Life
- Helping Others: Philanthropy
- Images for kids
Early Racing Days: How Joey Logano Started
Joey Logano began his racing journey in 1996 when he was just 6 years old. He started with quarter midget races in Connecticut. In 1997, he won his first big championship. He kept winning titles in different racing divisions over the next few years.
Famous NASCAR driver Mark Martin once called Logano "the real deal." When Logano was only 15, Martin believed he could become one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever. Another champion, Randy LaJoie, even nicknamed Logano "sliced bread," meaning he was the best new thing.
In 2007, a new NASCAR rule allowed drivers aged 16 and up to race in bigger series. This let Logano compete in the Camping World East Series. He had an amazing year, winning five races and the championship. He also won his first NASCAR West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. In 2008, Logano won the Carolina 500 in his first race in that series. He also made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut that year.
Racing in the Xfinity and Truck Series
Joey Logano made his debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) in 2008. He quickly became the youngest winner in Nationwide history. He won his first race in just his third start at Kentucky Speedway.
In 2012, Logano had a fantastic year in the Nationwide Series. He won nine races, showing how dominant he was. His team, Joe Gibbs Racing, won the Owners Championship that year thanks to his success.
When he moved to Penske Racing in 2013, Logano continued his winning ways in the Nationwide Series. He won both races at Dover International Speedway for the third and fourth time in a row. This made him the only driver to win four straight races at Dover in any series. His new team, Team Penske, also won the Nationwide Series owners title in 2013.
In 2015, Logano won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. This made him one of only a few drivers to win in all three major NASCAR series. He joined his teammate Brad Keselowski in this special group.
Logano returned to the Truck Series in 2022 and 2023 for a few races. In 2023, he won the Bristol dirt race after leading most of the laps.
NASCAR Cup Series Journey
Starting with Joe Gibbs Racing
In 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Joey Logano would join their team for the 2009 Sprint Cup Series. He would replace the famous driver Tony Stewart. Logano made his first Cup Series start in September 2008. He became the first NASCAR driver born in the 1990s to race in a Cup Series event.
In 2009, Logano became the youngest driver to start the Daytona 500. On June 28, 2009, he won his first Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This made him the youngest winner ever in the Sprint Cup Series at just 19 years old. At the end of the year, he was named the 2009 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
Logano continued to race for Joe Gibbs Racing until the end of the 2012 season. He won his second Cup Series race in 2012 at Pocono Raceway. This was his first win in a race that went the full distance.
Moving to Team Penske: A New Chapter
In 2013, Joey Logano joined Penske Racing (now Team Penske). This move marked a big change in his career. Early in the season, he had some exciting battles and even a disagreement with another driver, Tony Stewart.
Logano earned his first win with Team Penske at Michigan International Speedway in August 2013. This win helped him make it into the Chase for the Cup playoffs for the first time. He finished the season in a career-best eighth place in the final points standings.
2014: A Breakout Season
The 2014 season was a huge success for Logano. He won his first race of the year at Texas Motor Speedway. He then won again at Richmond Raceway, a track where he hadn't had much success before. His third win came at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Logano continued his strong performance in the playoffs. He won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which secured his spot in the next round. He then won the first race of the next round at Kansas Speedway, becoming the first driver to advance to the Eliminator Round. He finished the season in fourth place in the championship standings.
2015: Daytona 500 Victory
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Logano started 2015 by winning the famous 2015 Daytona 500. At 24 years old, he became the second-youngest winner of this prestigious race. He had an incredible playoff run, winning three races in a row. He won at Charlotte, Kansas, and Talladega, which was a rare achievement.
However, his championship hopes ended after an incident at Martinsville. Another driver, Matt Kenseth, intentionally crashed Logano's car as payback for an earlier race. This caused Logano to finish poorly and eventually be eliminated from the playoffs. He ended the season in sixth place.
2016: Close to the Championship
In 2016, Logano won his first NASCAR All-Star Race. He also won a points-paying race at Michigan International Speedway. He had a strong playoff performance, winning at Talladega Superspeedway and Phoenix Raceway. These wins put him in the Championship 4, giving him a chance to win the title at Homestead.
At the final race, Logano was battling for the lead when he was involved in a crash. His car was too damaged to continue fighting for the win. He finished fourth in the race and second in the championship standings. It was a heartbreaking end to a great season.
2017: A Challenging Year
Logano started 2017 by winning the Advance Auto Parts Clash, a special exhibition race. He also won a points-paying race at Richmond Raceway. However, his win was later declared "encumbered" due to a technical issue with his car. This meant the win didn't count towards locking him into the playoffs.
He faced more challenges throughout the year, including a crash at Kansas that injured another driver. Due to these setbacks and the encumbered win, Logano missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012. He finished the season in 17th place.
2018: First Championship Victory
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The 2018 season was a quiet but very successful year for Logano. He won at Talladega Superspeedway, securing his spot in the playoffs. He consistently finished well, often in the top 10.
In the playoffs, Logano won the fall race at Martinsville Speedway after a tough battle. This win guaranteed him a spot in the Championship 4. At the final race in Homestead-Miami Speedway, Logano passed Martin Truex Jr. with just 12 laps left to win the race and his first Cup Series championship! He ended the season with three wins and 26 top-10 finishes.
2019: Defending the Title
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Logano started 2019 strong, winning a qualifying race at Daytona. He then won his first points-paying race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also won at Michigan International Speedway.
He made it into the playoffs again. However, his title defense ended in the Round of 8. He was involved in a crash at Martinsville and finished ninth at Phoenix, but it wasn't enough to make the Championship 4. He finished the season in fifth place in the standings.
2020: Back in the Championship Hunt
In 2020, Logano won two early-season races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. These wins helped him secure a spot in the playoffs. He continued to perform well and locked himself into the Championship 4 by winning at Kansas Speedway. At the championship race in Phoenix, he finished third, ending the season third in the points standings.
2021: Bristol Dirt Race Win
Logano won the first-ever Cup Series race on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2021. This win secured his spot in the playoffs. However, he was eliminated in the Round of 8. He finished the season in eighth place in the points.
2022: Second Championship Victory
Logano began 2022 by winning the special Busch Light Clash race. He then scored his first points-paying win at Darlington Raceway. His second win came at the new Gateway track.
In the playoffs, Logano won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to make the Championship 4. At the final race in Phoenix Raceway, he won the race and claimed his second Cup Series championship!
2023: Early Playoff Exit
Logano started 2023 with a second-place finish in the Daytona 500. He then won at Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, his playoff journey ended early in the Round of 16 after being caught in a crash at Bristol. He finished the year 12th in points.
2024: Third Championship and Daytona 500 Pole
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In 2024, Logano won the pole position for the Daytona 500. He later won the NASCAR All-Star Race and a points-paying race at Nashville Superspeedway. He also won the first playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Even after facing some challenges, Logano made it to the Championship 4. At the final race in Phoenix Raceway, he won the race and earned his third Cup Series championship!
Beyond the Track: Media and Personal Life
Joey Logano has appeared in many TV shows and movies. He co-hosted an episode of WWE Raw and appeared in The Glades. He was also on Man v. Food Nation and American Idol. Logano had cameo roles in the movies Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! and Logan Lucky. He has also worked as a guest analyst for Fox NASCAR broadcasts.
Logano was born in Middletown, Connecticut. His family moved to Georgia to help his racing career. He married his childhood sweetheart, Brittany Baca, in 2014, and they have three children. In 2019, Logano shared that he has Alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair loss.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
In March 2020, Logano's foundation, the Joey Logano Foundation, teamed up with a restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina. They offered free meals to children during the COVID-19 lockdown, helping families in need.
Images for kids
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Logano's 2007 Camping World East Series championship racecar
