CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 22: Joey Logano poses for a photo during NASCAR Production Days … More
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Back in 2009, Joey Logano went airborne at Dover International Speedway.
Not metaphorically — actually, physically airborne — tumbling in a tangle of sheet metal and adrenaline that reminded everyone how thin the line is between a race and a highlight reel. He was still just a teenager then, in his first full NASCAR Cup Series season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Young, fast, and fearless — or, depending on who you asked, just fast and not yet afraid.
This weekend, Logano returns to that same high-banked concrete mile, now known as Dover Motor Speedway, in Delaware to make his 600th career Cup Series start — today he’s a three-time champion, a husband, a father, and a driver whose off-track sponsors include not just performance brands but Hair Club, where he appears in commercials that are only slightly less dramatic than his wrecks used to be.
The kid who once flipped through Turn 3 has become something else entirely — a driver with serious control: of his car, his image, and his business. Joey Logano Inc. isn’t just open for business, it’s booked solid.
DOVER, DE – SEPTEMBER 27: (L-R) Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, flips his car … More
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Reflecting on his 600th start, Logano split the reaction into two parts — the quick shrug, and the deeper truth.
“At first glance, I said, ‘Well, it’s just starts,’” he said. “But then when you start thinking about it… to be able to be around in a sport as an athlete competing at a top level for 16-plus years, and hitting 600 starts, it’s pretty incredible.”
He remembers hitting the 300 mark and looking at guys like Matt Kenseth and thinking, “That’s double the amount of races as me. That’s crazy.” And yet, here he is.
“It went by pretty quick,” he said. “It’s been a heck of a ride. This sport has been awesome to me and my family and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
The stats say a lot —599 starts, 32 wins, three titles. But the more interesting story might be the transformation. Logano started his career in a Toyota. But his defining moments — his wins, his championships, his identity — have all come behind the wheel of a Ford, specifically the No. 22 Mustang for Team Penske.
That switch wasn’t just about speed. It marked the moment Logano stopped being the new kid known as “Sliced Bread” and became the real deal. He didn’t just change cars — he changed trajectory.
Sixteen years later, Logano is more than just a driver. He’s a recognizable, bankable brand — one built not in a marketing department, but in the full glare of the NASCAR spotlight.
“I grew up in front of everybody,” he said. “All of us change over the years as you grow up. Life comes at you and you evolve and keep going with it… but I did all of this in front of everybody.”
MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, sits in his car … More
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The evolution is right there on film: a kid with raw talent, a little swagger, and the kind of crash footage that ends up in highlight reels. Then came the growing pains, the hard lessons, the learning curve — and eventually, the trophies. Along the way he had to eat some crow, and plenty of asphalt.
“Everybody went for the ride with me,” he said. “I was a young, cocky kid coming in to getting my humble pie and learning how to become a champion… It’s kind of neat that race fans have been around that long and they see the evolution.”
That evolution extends beyond the garage. These days, his sponsors include Ford Performance — and the aforementioned Hair Club, because nothing sells ‘still in his prime’ like trophies on the shelf and not a bald spot in sight.
It all works because it’s real — or at least, real enough. And that’s something Logano is keenly aware of.
“Our sponsors are looking at the driver more than anything else,” he said. “Some of it is the team, but a lot of it is the driver. So you have to think about what is your brand and the plays that you make to grow that.”
And that authenticity, he says, isn’t negotiable.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 10: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates with … More
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“Be who you are. When someone is being fake, it’s so obvious…you know who those people are. You can pick them out so easy.”
So what is the Joey Logano brand?
“Hard racer, wins as much as he can and works hard to do that,” he says smiling. “I love cars. I’m a car guy. And I’m a family man. Those are the things that make Joey Logano who he is.”
And what he is — right now — is a long way from that flying teenager at Dover.
Six hundred starts in, and Logano is still racing at full speed. But he’s grounded now — in perspective, in purpose, and in a brand that fits as comfortably as the fire suit.
He’s not just driving a Ford. He’s driving his own legacy — and doing it with the confidence of someone who knows exactly where he’s headed.
“It’s been a heck of a ride,” he said — not just of the last 599 races, but of everything that came with them.
And on Sunday, as the green flag waves once again at Dover, Logano won’t just hit 600.
He’ll remind everyone he’s far from done and a long way from the kid once dubbed Sliced Bread.
