In the unforgiving world of NASCAR, talent alone isn’t always enough, and NASCAR star Joey Logano learnt that the hard way. Pressure, expectations, and timing can elevate a young driver or expose them. Few careers capture that truth more vividly than Logano’s.
Young Logano was considered the sport’s next big thing when he first hit the track. However, he went through the weight of hype, the sting of disappointment, and the grind of redemption before he became the now two-time Cup Series champion.
From Prodigy to Castoff To Champion, Joey Logano Looks Back on NASCAR Journey
Logano’s journey through the ranks has been anything but linear. From being thrust into the national spotlight as a teenager to finding himself without a ride just a few seasons later, the road to the top was not only a joy ride.
Now firmly established as one of the sport’s most consistent contenders with Team Penske, Logano recently opened up about the lowest point in his early career and how it fueled his long-term success.
Speaking on the Marty & McGee podcast, Logano candidly shared, “I showed up with all the hype, and then just was like, ‘Eh.’ I didn’t really perform at the level I needed to, to the point where I lost my job.”
Some athletes enter the professional ranks with impossible expectations, yet they achieve and even exceed those expectations.
LeBron James. Bryce Harper.
Joey Logano.
I asked him about that on Marty & McGee.
Incredible answer. @joeylogano pic.twitter.com/mp4aXSyxnJ— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN)
He continued, “That was the hardest point for me because I believed the hype. When you’re 18 years old or even younger and everyone’s telling you you’re the next best thing that’s going to come in the sport, you’re gonna win all these races and championships and you’re like, ‘Yeah, dang right I am, watch this.’”
“As much as it helped progress my career because of the opportunities I got, it also hurt me because I drank the Kool-Aid, you know what I mean? I believed it so much that I didn’t work at anything, just was like, ‘I’m good, I’m naturally talented, I’m fine.’ I needed a slice of humble pie,” Logano added.
That humbling moment ultimately became a turning point in his career. After losing his seat at Joe Gibbs Racing, Logano landed at Team Penske in 2013. A fresh start that saw him blossom into the championship-caliber driver he is today.
The lessons from those early years, he says, are something he would pass on to all young drivers entering NASCAR. “It can ruin somebody just as quickly as it gives them the opportunity to become something,” shared Logano.