Roger Penske on Joey Logano: You want to be sure he’s on your team
In a year that has seen Roger Penske's teams claim the NASCAR Cup Series with Joey Logano as well as the NTT IndyCar Series championships, the 85-year-old is almost certain to be content with the 2022 racing season. Team Penske's appearance at Phoenix Raceway last Sunday saw the #22 crew and driver visit Victory Lane at the Avondale, Arizona track, crowning Logano as the season champion.
Starting out as a racer himself, Roger Penske's eye for talent in the sport has been well-established by now. Having won 16 open-wheeled IndyCar championships with 18 wins in the prestigious Indy 500, Penske's Cup Series team now holds 3 NASCAR Cup Series championships as well.
How it started / How it’s going #iToldYouSo #The22in2022 https://t.co/JIdBPgfDvh
Joey Logano's entry into the Mooresville, North Carolina-based outfit came in the form of Brad Keselowski's departure last year. Logano's previous achievements in the form of a championship made him the senior-most driver in a group of 3, which also included rookie Austin Cindric this year. In a meeting with the media after the title decider, Roger Penske spoke on how Logano has embraced his position in the team with open arms and said:
“Our relationship with Shell-Pennzoil couldn’t be better, and it’s because of the job that he’s done and what he does off the track, and then he and Brittany (Logano's wife), from a philanthropy standpoint, I see another part of Joey you don’t see when he puts his helmet on. But once he puts that helmet on, you want to be sure he’s on your team.”
With 61 career victories and two championships to his name in the sport, it comes as no surprise how highly Joey Logano is regarded by his boss.
Joey Logano claims he had 'never been truly this ready' to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship
After clinching the ultimate prize in NASCAR, 32-year-old Joey Logano was as ecstatic as a driver could be after getting out of his car. After switching teams for the 2022 season, Logano managed to adapt to a new environment as well as a brand new formula for racecars in the sport with the Next Gen car better than anyone else on the field.
The 2x Champion
@joeylogano | #TeamJL https://t.co/oRhRMC5QjG
Having started his season with a win at the LA Coliseum and ending it with a championship in Phoenix, the Connecticut native said:
“I had a good team with a bunch of confidence and we had all the reason in the world to be confident. I said ‘I’ve never been truly this ready for a championship race’ and we did it, I can’t believe it.”
The 2023 Cup Series season will visit the LA Coliseum next year for the Clash at the Coliseum on February 5th.