What is the ideal age for a NASCAR Cup Series driver to retire from competitive racing? It is a difficult question to answer, but the growing demands and drive to push the limits to be better have influenced drivers to retire early. Not only that, the constant changes in the style of racing with the new car have made it difficult for drivers to stay relevant and competitive. And this just might push Joey Logano to take an early retirement.
Fresh off his win from the All-Star race, Logano was featured on Kevin Harvick’s podcast show Happy Hour, discussing the longevity of the drivers in the scene. Having raced for over 15 years in the Cup Series, bagging two championships, Logano shared his take on how taxing competitive racing has become in the modern era. Meanwhile, he also stated the reasons that would force him to call it quits from competitive racing.
Joey Logano reveals the only factor that keeps him motivated as a race car driver
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It’s fair to say that Logano has been running off the boil after his dismal 2023 campaign. After winning the 2022 Championship, the Penske star has only managed a single win in his next 49 starts, combined from the 2023-24 season. While it might not seem alarming from the outside, Logano certainly doesn’t like to be a mid-pack driver.
Harvick, during the interview, asked the 33-year-old about how he manages work-life balance as he’s among the more experienced drivers in the garage. To which he responded, “I want to say if I can’t win, I don’t want to do it. Because I like winning more than I like racing. The racing part’s okay, but the winning part is the only reason why I do it. I can find joy in other things besides running mid-pack in a Cup race.”
Given the recent streak of disappointing results, this response by Joey Logano could hint at his early retirement from NASCAR racing. Moreover, he also laid down options where he could switch his career path to find competitive joy. “I can find joy like doing other things. I can find ways to win in business or other stuff that I can get that competitive vibe. But eventually, if you get your b*tt kicked every week, you’re going to be like, ‘Screw this, I’m going to do something else’.”
It’s fair to say that not all the drivers have transitioned well into adapting to the nuances of the Next Gen car. Although Logano does have a championship to his name, his struggles have somewhat eclipsed his past glory.
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Parity racing hasn’t fared well for a lot of experienced drivers
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NASCAR’s sole purpose with the rollout of the Gen 7 car was to create a level playing field. And going by the struggles of the experienced campaigners and surprise winners, it is fair to say the idea is working. Gone are the days when a fast enough race car was the difference maker. Now every team has to bring their A-game every weekend. Not just Logano, but seasoned drivers like Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski have also found it tough to adapt to the new car.
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Providing the solution to this parity racing, Logano during the interview, added, “The details matter more than they used to. We used to be okay with mediocre rolling times on pit roads or you know, fast enough cars that you can make that up on the restarts. Now everything’s the same. So how you’re going to get better than the next guy, you just gotta outwork them.”
Having tasted the win after a long drought at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, this may open doors for Joey Logano and the #22 team to overturn their misfortunes of 2024. All it takes is a win to secure the spot in the final 16, and thirteen attempts should be enough for them to get back to winning ways in a points race.
