All-Star Front-Seat Winner Joey Logano Highlights Teamwork in Winning the “Most Special Pole” of the Year

Like the NFL or NBA, NASCAR is also a sport that harbors the concept of teams. Even though the driver racing the car hogs the maximum spotlight, team managers and pit crew members put in truckloads of effort. The All-Star Race qualifying underlined this behind-the-scenes work as each racing team worked as a single, breathing organism. And Joey Logano’s team topped the charts.

On Saturday’s qualifying session, Joey Logano won the pole position for both the No. 1 Heat Race and Sunday’s $1 million-to-win NASCAR All-Star Race. He ran the required three laps, including the four-tire pit stop, in 89.754 seconds. Even though there were other faster pit teams, Logano was all praise for his No. 22 Penske team.

Joey Logano lauds teamwork in the All-Star line-up

Joey Logano did not have luck in the season’s first few races, but he had sporadic moments of success. For instance, he logged a runner-up finish at Richmond Raceway. Now the Penske driver is shining up front yet again as he defeated his rivals at the All-Star qualifying. He had already won 30 races across his racing career, but this one was special to him.

One golden reason is teamwork. The qualifying race included a pit crew challenge, which required the entire team’s coordination. On the second lap, drivers proceeded to a designated pit stall for a four-tire stop with mock fuel delivery. The total elapsed time from the green to the checkered flags decided the fate of the teams.

Joey Logano lauded this rule after winning the pole: “Honestly, it’s I think the most special pole of the year, the way they have their rules set up. You know, you think about how it takes the whole team to do it, all the way through. You gotta set the lights right, the engineers at the back before we even get to the race track. It’s so important to make sure we get all the speed out of the car on pit road.”

Joey Logano further strengthened his argument for “the most special” pole of the year. “It takes everything to make it happen. I think this is what makes it so special, is that the most challenging minute of a half-qualifying session you can ever ask for.”

Team Penske‘s No. 22 pit crew logged the fifth-fastest stop, falling behind other teams for the Pit Crew Challenge. So that meant Logano made up for his significant track time. Even then, he called it a team win and a “momentum booster.” The team that won the Pit Crew Challenge also elicited immense praise from its driver, Christopher Bell.

Bell is also head over heels in appreciation for his team

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When NASCAR unveiled the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway last year, the Joe Gibbs Racing team coined a heap of money. The No. 20 Toyota team won the Pit Crew Challenge. This year, they snagged the coveted $100,000 prize yet again, posting a stop time of 13.223 seconds.

Although Christopher Bell was third fastest (90.169) seconds, he oozed appreciation for his team. “What can you say about these guys, it’s two in a row,” Bell said as his crew celebrated around him. “They have been awesome and I’m incredibly happy for them. It’s an honor to be their driver.”

The rear tire-changer, Mike Hicks, also echoed a similar sentiment. “I’m blessed to be with a good group of guys. I couldn’t do this if I didn’t have a good supporting cast. Those guys are the best on pit road, and we’ve got a stud for a driver.”

Hence, the All-Star race threw in a chance to refresh the driver-team dynamic all over again. We are excited to see the thrilling speeds teams reach at the final race on Sunday.