“It’s Crazy”: Joey Logano Exposes the Bitter Truth of NASCAR’s Money-Minded Roadblock in Young Talents’ Path

NASCAR has stirred up controversy several times over the years. From the introduction of the Next Gen Cup car to security protocol, they have faced the brunt of criticism from racing teams. But recently, the money problem, which was a recurrent grey area earlier, has sprung up again. Joey Logano added his own honest opinion about the system which cripples people without adequate resources.

The charter system has gotten on the nerves of racing teams. They demanded race charters to be made permanent, to cap the lingering fear that their cash inflow would cease any moment. But NASCAR is tight-lipped on the topic, even after a high-profile sports lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, was hired to advise the teams. Even two-time Cup champion Logano called out the racing series for its economic drawbacks.

Joey Logano reveals dismal pecuniary rules within NASCAR

Logano is indubitably a young legend of motorsport. The Team Penske driver was a young prodigy, becoming the youngest driver to win a race in the Cup Series. As a 32-time Cup winner and holding the 24th spot in all-time rankings, he commands a lot of respect in the racing world.

Or so you would think. Even though his army of fans rally behind him, NASCAR itself does not show enough credit to him, or any other driver of his stature. Joey Logano recently spilled the beans on an absurd regulation that prevents him from switching places in different series easily.

On Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, he said: “I’d like to run some Truck races and some Xfinity races if I could…but I’m telling you, our sport, it’s crazy. I’ll be real with you here. I get paid to drive a Cup car, that’s great. I have to pay to drive an Xfinity car or a Truck. I have to show up with money on the doorstep to drive one. Now, a Cup car, boom. I can get in, I get paid well…and things work out. But if I wanna go down a series or two, I have to pay a significant amount of money to get in a car to drive.”

He further demonstrated how difficult it would be for amateur drivers looking for a breakthrough in the sport. “That’s why it’s so hard for kids to make it these days. If a two-time NASCAR champion can’t drive an Xfinity car for free…how do you expect a kid that’s got no experience to come up with the money from a sponsor to pay to go do something like that. I mean…I hate that part of our sport.”

Logano had previously expressed his disfavor of NASCAR’s system in an interview with veteran racer Kenny Wallace. He is not far off when he says that the sport is crazy and money-minded.

Read More: Surrounded by Controversy and Crashes, Joey Logano Could End His 37-Race Winless Streak in Phoenix

F1 may have a better system in place than NASCAR

Trending

NASCAR Rumor: 66-YO Surprise Daytona 500 Winner Could Make a Return to NASCAR in 2025

How Late NASCAR Legend Was Forced to “Sell Everything” After Losing $10,000 to Mafia

Historic NASCAR Track Shutting Its Door After Final Run Has Racing Community Heartbroken

Forgotten NASCAR Track: North Carolina’s Abandoned Legacy Lost in the Woods

Shane Van Gisbergen Discloses a Major Problem in NASCAR After Leaving Supercars

In a comparison that many would not like, F1 has a more elaborate way of handling finances. Teams negotiate with the management for a share in revenue, along with a 50/50 split. On the other hand, NASCAR is essentially a private business under Bill France’s family. They get 93% of the television revenue, supposed to be split evenly among NASCAR, the teams, and the tracks.

Before the 2024 protests, racing teams had convened in a four-member subcommittee in 2022. Curtis Polk, Michael Jordan’s business manager and a part owner in the 23XI Racing team, had said: “The economic model is really broken for teams.” Veteran racer Jeff Gordon had also predicted: “I have a lot of fears that sustainability is going to be a real challenge.”

Joey Logano has pointed out a crucial flaw in NASCAR’s system. The racing series and teams need to work out a mutually beneficial solution to conduct races seamlessly.