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Joey Logano breaks down how he processed Matt Kenseth taking his seat

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated 10/26/23

When Joey Logano hit the Cup Series, he was the next best thing since sliced bread, hence his nickname early in his career. However, the NASCAR driver didn’t pan out how Joe Gibbs Racing had planned. We all know what happened next.

From the new kid on the block to out of a job. Joey Logano was faced with a difficult and stressful time back in 2012. He was four years into full-time racing and only had two wins to show for it. He hadn’t finished in the top-15 ever in a single season.

“It was the most stressful times of my life professionally,” Logano shared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “Because you start hearing the rumors, Matt Kenseth’s coming over, he’s driving the 20 car. I’m driving the 20, I’m like ‘Oh my God, what am I gonna do?’ You start hearing the rumors, most of the time when there’s a rumor, there’s some truth behind it. I wasn’t told any of this first-hand but I was smart enough to put two and two together, what looked like what’s going to happen. Eventually, it was announced.”

Joey Logano had two options at that point. He could stay with his manufacturer in Toyota. That would put him with Joe Gibbs Racing full-time in the Xfinity Series. Or he could go race for Petty, who at the time was a Toyota team.

Then, the most amazing thing happened. The 22-car opened up and everything fell into place.

@joeylogano dishes on “the most stressful (time) of (his) life professionally” in the Cup Series:

“That was, for me, a gift from God, that worked out the way it did.”

More on his early days in Cup from “Behind The Wheel” this week

→ https://t.co/oek7E77UMS pic.twitter.com/ER5hYivqYd
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) October 26, 2023

Joey Logano had a lot of friends and relationships at Joe Gibbs Racing. He was there from the age of 15 until he left in 2012. I think it’s safe to say the move worked out. Now, ten years and two championships later, that moment in his career is almost a distant memory.

Joey Logano likely wants to get on to 2024

Now, move forward about 10 years to this season, and Joey Logano is in no danger of losing his job. He’s one of the brightest stars in the Cup Series. Logano is fresh off the 2022 championship. This season in his quest for back-to-back titles, the Team Penske driver fell just short in the Round of 16.

This year, Logano has only had a single win. The first Atlanta race of the year went his way. It was a track he had long wanted to win and it finally happened. He came up short at Daytona, Martinsville, and New Hampshire with P2 finishes at all of those races.

Things just never really clicked for the Ford group as a whole. Ryan Blaney is still in the Round of 8, but he’s one of just two blue ovals still in the Round of 8. Things are coming to a head at Martinsville, a track I think Logano can play spoiler at. Is this his chance to get another win before the year ends?

For Joey Logano, it has to be difficult to go through this season after a championship season. A year after his first title, Logano followed it up by finishing fifth overall. Logano is good for about two to three wins a year and everything else is just bonus. In the NASCAR Playoffs era, that’s enough to put yourself in contention.

I’m sure Logano and his team will want a better 2024 season. Fewer road courses, but the season is laid out a little differently. We are going to have to crown a new champion and get all the way through the offseason before that happens, though.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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