Logano's Nationwide Series Career Is Officially One Year Old

It was May 31, 2008 when Joey Logano, nicknamed “Sliced Bread,” made his NASCAR career debut at Dover International Speedway.

Logano was just one week over the age of 18 and was finally allowed to enter NASCAR's national touring series.

It was a highly anticipated debut, after Mark Martin called Logano the next NASCAR superstar after discovering him at the age of 15.

Since that special debut for Logano, he has collected two Nationwide Series wins and is currently racing full-time in the Sprint Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“There was a lot of hype surrounding my first Nationwide Series start,” said Logano.  “I wasn’t immune to it, but pressure is something that has never bothered me. We are in a pressure sport and if you can’t take it you probably need to find something else to do. 

"I had raced in some Camping World East Series races at Dover, so I knew my way around the track. I was confident when I woke up that day and really thought we had a chance to win. In the end we were just a little bit off and finished sixth. As much as I want to win every race, I knew I was still learning and sixth was a solid finish for my first start.”

Logano describes Dover International Speedway as a bigger version of Bristol.

“Dover promotes some of the best racing on the circuit,” Logano continued. “It’s exciting and competitive. A bigger version of Bristol is a good description. 

"As a driver, you are always busy, there is no time to rest and you are just flying around that joint. You will see guys running on the bottom or up at the top of the track. Any time you can do that the drivers are going to enjoy it.”

Logano, despite running only a partial schedule, sits fourth in Nationwide Series driver points. So far, Logano has missed only one race, however, at Las Vegas earlier this season.

The team has selected the oldest chassis at the No. 20 team and is the same chassis that Tony Stewart took to Victory Lane in the 2008 California spring race its last time out.

Logano finished sixth from his ninth-place starting position in his career debut at Dover last year. 

Logano also started the fall Dover race and finished 14th from a ninth-place starting position.