LOUDON, N.H. – Joey Logano isn’t letting his status on the standings bubble bother him.
Never mind that Logano is in a marginal position when it comes to making the postseason playoff in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Never mind that he lost the benefit of his April victory in Richmond when NASCAR discovered an impropriety with his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.
Never mind that there are 10 drivers with unencumbered victories this season and six others without wins ahead of Logano in the standings—a circumstance that could prove problematic since there are only 16 playoff spots available.
Though Logano is currently 12th in points and the first driver out when it comes to the playoff, his belief in the resilience of his team is unflagging.
“None of this is new,” said Logano, a two-time New Hampshire winner during media availability for Sunday’s Overton’s 301 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN). “If you think about it, we do this throughout the playoffs. You have a cut-off every three races, and you know the points are close. They will be closer this year than ever with the stages and how that works. I think of Phoenix last year. We went into that race do or die and we won.
“Talladega was the same thing. Do or die and we won. We’re going to get in a situation that is do or die, and I have more faith in this team that it is going to happen than not. This team rises to the occasion, for sure. When the pressure is on, they show up. It is just a matter of time before that happens.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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