(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Joey Logano only got into major NASCAR racing in May of 2008. Yet, everyone knew he would eventually find stardom in the Sprint Cup Series…in time. It seemed that 2010 would be the season in which he would make the jump, after a little more than a year and a half in the Nationwide Series.
Of course, that all changed when Tony Stewart announced he was leaving to join Haas-CNC Racing, re-naming it Stewart Haas Racing.
Joe Gibbs needed a driver for the No. 20 car. Even though it meant bringing him up a year earlier than anticipated, the team put then 18-year-old Logano in the car.
Was it before he was ready? Yes, and everyone, including Logano, admitted to it. But, in reality, this move was the one that made the most sense. He was the highest ranked Gibbs development driver at the time, and bringing in a veteran to fill the gap for a year wouldn’t have been fair, since that seat would likely have been Logano’s in 2010.
It was an opportunity that Logano admitted he couldn’t pass up, even if he did feel he wasn’t ready to move into the Sprint Cup Series. The experience would come and he would eventually learn the ropes; it would just take time, which the Gibbs team was prepared to give him.
While driving the No. 20 car was the opportunity of a lifetime, it also put incredible pressure on Logano (as if is his nickname “Sliced Bread” and immediate success in every other series he ran in didn’t already do that).
What if he didn’t run well early on? What if his inexperience showed and he failed to finish races? What if he had trouble giving Greg Zipadelli feedback about the car?
His results through the first few months reflect the struggles he had transitioning into the series. He had no finishes in the Top 10 through the first eight races, and only one in the Top 15. A tough start, right?
Not exactly. Remember, Logano’s goal in the opening half of the season was just to gain experience and learn how to drive a Sprint Cup car. The results would come, but not in the first of the season (or they weren’t likely to come at least).
Gain experience was exactly what Logano did. He only has two DNFs to his name this year (neither of which his own doing). He even managed to run well in his restrictor-plate debut during Speedweeks (he finished in the Top Five in his Duel race).
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