Logano uses fan reaction as motivation

AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 14, 2015 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
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AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14:  Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 14, 2015 in Avondale, Arizona.  (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 14: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 14, 2015 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

AVONDALE, Ariz. – When Matt Kenseth wrecked Joey Logano at Martinsville Speedway and put his title hopes in dire jeopardy, there were more cheers than boos from the grandstands at the legendary short track.

But Logano tries not to let any negative reaction faze him, even when fans made snide comments in response to one of the Team Penske driver’s Instagram posts this weekend. Logano even found some of the potshots amusing.

“I have great fans, awesome fans, but then there are a few that just come up, and I start laughing because it’s so creative,” Logano said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know I sucked on so many different levels.’ It was interesting to me. Maybe I’m just the type of guy that laughs at everything, and I have fun with life and I don’t regret living that way.

“I use it as motivation. I try to use everything and try to spin it into something positive. It’s something I’ve done in my life, especially recently, is spin things into a positive and try to look at the bright side of things. I think it really helps my attitude. I think it helps us as a race team because attitudes are contagious.”

Logano will need all the optimism he can muster on Sunday. The only way he can advance to the Championship Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is by winning the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC).

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. 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.