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Monday, December 1, 2014

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Joey Logano

Joey Logano 2014 Review


By Richard Tix


Season Grade: A

"2013 was hands down Logano's best season in the Cup Series with new Career highs in average finish position, top 10's, and top 5's. It was a bumpy first season with Penske, but not because of a lack of chemistry. It seemed that other then problems with Nascar Officials and Rules that Joey fit right in at Penske. Penske now has two young drivers with something to prove in 2014. I think now that Penske has another year under its belt with Ford and the Gen-6 car, and Joey Logano is also in year two with them, that he will have once again his best season yet. Joey Logano might be one of the drivers this season that takes his driving up to the next level and is talked about week to week as a race contender." - My Preseason take on Joey Logano from the Preview

2013 was JoLo's first season with Team Penske and he showed new life as a NASCAR Cup driver. He did this in a season where Penske and Ford seemed to lack the speed to really keep up with the likes of Hendrick and Joe Gibbs.

Enter 2014. Joey just had his best season ever (I know, that's what I said in the season preview about 2013) and now will be considered a title contender in 2015. So how did he get there?

In 2014 Joey Logano was the second driver to get multiple wins (first was Harvick) and lock in his Chase spot for sure. Joey Logano had his first season with multiple wins in 2014 (5 total) after having just just 3 his first 183 races. 

Joey rounded out his 2014 season with 16 top 5's (career high) and 22 top 10's (also a career high) on his way to second career and second straight Chase appearance. Once in the Chase, Joey reeled off finishes of 4th, 1st, 4th, 1st, and 4th to start. His top 5 streak ended when he helped Brad Keselowski win at Talladega which left Joey finishing 11th (he was already locked into the next round). He fought through a tough race at Phoenix to get to the finale in Miami.

Once in the final he looked like the co-favorite with Harvick, but a rough pit stop late in the race where a jack-man dropped the jack and sent Joey to the back, ended his title run. Overall Joey had one heck of a season and made a run that not many saw coming. I think he takes that fuel and passion from this season and brings it back in 2015.

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