Joey Logano on defending his NASCAR Cup Series title come 2023: "The mission is the same!"
Heading into the Busch Light Clash this weekend at the LA Memorial Coliseum, it is strange how another year of stock car racing has passed, with new reigning champion Joey Logano looking to defend his crown in 2023.
With the introduction of the Clash at the Coliseum as well as the new seventh generation 'Next Gen' car, NASCAR went through a host of changes as a sport. However, the #22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang driver established himself as one of the constants, repeating his feat from 2018 once again.
Having won the ultimate prize in the sport as well as the inaugural exhibition race at the Coliseum, Joey Logano and Team Penske will be gearing up to start the new season on the same high as they did last year. The quarter-mile track, which saw intense, close-quarters racing, saw the Middletown, Connecticut native in his element. Managing to visit Victory Lane last year, Logano elaborated on his plans to do the same this season, saying:
"Like I said, I don't think it matters if you're defending a title or not, the mission is the same. The mission is to win, and that's it."
Joey Logano will be the first defending champion of the “Next Gen” era. Will defending this title be any different than when he won the title in 2018? https://t.co/vh8ZMmv7BM
It remains to be seen how the 32-year-old two-time Cup Series champion deals with the expectations of the world that come with being a multiple-title winner. The Busch Light Clash, going live this weekend from the LA Memorial Coliseum, would be a good litmus test for the same.
Joey Logano elaborates on how the Next Gen car has affected racing in the Cup Series
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season was a year of firsts, with the introduction of the new seventh generation 'Next Gen' cars to the addition of the Busch Light Clash as the opening race of the season. The exhibition-style race, which saw many first-time viewers of the sport flock in, saw Joey Logano take the inaugural victory at the same time.
Joey Logano wins The Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum!!!🏁
First race at this venue and the first race for the NextGen car: Ford Mustang! 🏁🏆
Congratulations to Joey, Team Penske, Ford and NASCAR! https://t.co/WmICB3aWdg
Heading into the much anticipated 2023 season of racing, the now reigning champion elaborated on how the new cars have affected racing on the track and said:
"Winning now is different now because of the Next Gen car, that changed everything for us and as the cars are now closer in speed, different things now win races. Where you used to be able to get away with a bad pit stop or strategy, you could recover because your car was fast. Now if the whole field is close in speed, you gotta be perfect in the details."
Watch Joey Logano take on the challenge of the 2023 Busch Light Clash this weekend from the LA Memorial Coliseum.