NASCAR Nationwide Series: Rookie Logano To Debut At Dover International Speedway
May 13, 2008
JGR
A development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, Logano is preparing to make his Nationwide Series debut later this month at Dover International Speedway.
His highly anticipated launch into the series has been the topic of conversation around many garage coolers recently as some believe Logano could be the future of Joe Gibbs Racing—alongside young guns Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin—if JGR franchise driver Tony Stewart chooses to leave for greener pastures in 2009 or beyond.
Sure, the media is calling Logano a future star; he was featured in Sports Illustrated at 17 years old, and recall Mark Martin dubbed him “the real deal.” But all of this falls on Logano’s deaf ears.
“It’s definitely cool to have your name mentioned in the same sentence as those guys but I’m focused on one race at a time and it’s up to Joe and J.D. [Gibbs, team owner and president, respectively] which races those are,” Logano said.
If the teenager had things his way, it would’ve been sooner but Logano doesn’t turn 18, the eligible age per NASCAR rules, until May 24, one week before he is slated to run in the Heluva Good! 200 at Dover. He’ll waive the birthday pomp and likely watch the Nationwide cars go around Lowe’s Motor Speedway that day in the Carquest Auto Parts 300.
“Yeah, I really don’t care so much about turning 18, I just want to race,” said Logano of trading his teen years for adult privileges; the right to vote, permission to join the military or even, heaven forbid, having his nose pierced.
But if history is any indication, Logano will find success just as soon as he gets behind the wheel. Lagono won the Junior Stock Quarter Midgets Eastern Grand National Championship when he was 7 years old. At age 9, he won double Summer Shootout Series championships racing Bandoleros in both Atlanta and Charlotte. Three years later he became the youngest driver to win the Pro National Championship in Legends.
It took Logano just two races to find Victory Lane in the Hooters Pro Cup in 2005. As for NASCAR’s Camping World Series (formerly Grand National) East series, he clinched the 2007 championship at Dover’s Monster Mile as a rookie. In his first ARCA Re/Max Series event, Logano “whupped up on” the entire field; in an old Cup car Denny Hamlin once drove, Logano nearly lapped the field in his Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet in the inaugural Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway.
His dad calls this natural ability. Logano, on the other hand, is hesitant and tries to explain while maintaining an unassuming disposition.
Logano doesn’t over-think things and he’s not going to put pressure on top of pressure. He’ll remember to be a kid, have fun along the way. That’s the best advice he’s ever received and it came from his coach and team owner.
