With three championships and 37 NASCAR Cup Series wins to his credit, Joey Logano is in an enviable position compared to most of his peers.
Rest assured, though, that the Team Penske driver is as motivated as ever to win more races and championships.
The reason?
For starters, Logano is just wired that way. He’s the quintessential competitor. So, being remotely satisfied is simply not in the reigning Cup Series champ’s DNA.
But there’s also the fact that Logano is keenly aware of some areas in his game that could stand some legitimate fine-tuning. Case in point: road courses.
Joey Logano Acknowledges Substantial Room For Improvement On Road Courses
A reporter reminding Joey Logano on Friday at the Chicago Street Course that he hadn’t won on a road circuit in nearly a decade was nothing but extra jet fuel for the fire that constantly burns in Logano’s belly to accomplish more and be continually refining his craft.
“You just gave me additional motivation. Not that I needed it,” Logano said with a laugh. “I honestly feel like I have to prove myself every day. I always say that what you did yesterday is yesterday. Tell me what you’re gonna do tomorrow. That’s the important stuff.
“The history books and people’s memories are short. People say, and I say, too: ‘You’re only as good as your last race.’ It really feels that way a lot of times.”
Even with all the wins and championships, Logano — who owns just a single victory halfway through the 2025 season — is as hungry as he’s ever been.
“I’ve had a great career,” the 35-year-old said in Chicago. “A lot of great accomplishments and really cool moments. Have I hit all the markers that I set out to hit? No, I haven’t.
“So, I’ve still got plenty to go out there and want to achieve, for sure.”
Is This The Weekend The Reigning Champ Ends His Lengthy Drought On Road Courses?
Up to this point, the Chicago Street Course has been a mixed bag of results for Joey Logano.
In 2023, he finished eighth on the 2.2-mile street course in the heart of downtown Chicago. That was the day road racing expert Shane van Gisbergen shocked the NASCAR world by going to Victory Lane in dominant fashion in his first Cup Series start.
Last year, Logano took the checkered flag 23rd on the Chicago streets.
So, given Logano’s ultra-competitive nature and the reality that he hasn’t exactly blown away the competition in either trip to the Windy City, it’s no wonder that he had a hard time on Friday answering a question about his favorite part of the 12-turn course.
“It’s probably Victory Lane,” Logano said. “I just haven’t seen it yet. Up to this moment, it’s been the ride home. Hopefully, it’s not like that this time. This track is very challenging in its own way.”
Making it especially challenging for Logano and everyone else is van Gisbergen. The now-full-time Cup Series driver and former Australian Supercars series star recently earned Cup win No. 2 when the series made its first ever visit to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — a 2.42-mile road course in Mexico City.
“We’re not road racers, to speak of. There’s only one out there that really is,” said Logano, referring to van Gisbergen.
“So all of us are, in a way, playing catch-up.”
