For approximately 36 weekends, NASCAR’s most elite tread a very delicate tightrope between speed and family. No doubt, a schedule like that could make even the toughest of us stumble. But Joey Logano is no average human being. After all, this seventeen-year Cup veteran won two Cup championships and built himself a successful family while he was at it. 

Although a lot of that credit should go to his wife Brittany, and their three children, Joey cuts no corners in his quest to be that perfect father and husband. Now, Roger Penske and Co. might be his more publicized family on screens worldwide and on the internet. But off it, he makes some drastic moves to tend and cater to the ones waiting for him to come back home. And speaking to long-time journalist Bob Pockrass in a 1-on-1 interview, Logano made some confessions that could help everyone learn something about maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Phone on silent, family time on high for Joey Logano

Joey Logano is a man of many talents. Yet he focused all of that on becoming a top-level stock car driver from a very early age. Throughout the process, he has stamped his claim as one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of the modern era. Joey is 33, but he has already found himself a place on NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers List. And let’s not forget about the two shiny Bill France Cups sitting in his trophy cabinet. But all of that glory can barely measure up to his undeniable success as a NASCAR ‘family man.’ Married in December 2014, there is not much anybody can do to make him choose work over his dedicated quality time with his wife and kids. And like many of us, Joey sometimes disconnects from his cell phone, aka “distractions,” completely to prioritize his mental well-being and family time.

Noting exactly that fact, Bob Pockrass raised an interesting question for Joey Logano in a rare off-season conversation, days before NASCAR returns to the Richmond Raceway from a two-week break for the 2024 Olympics. Pockrass referenced an earlier conversation Logano had with Kevin Harvick on The Closer’s “Happy Hour” podcast to ask the man: “On the Harvick podcast, you said that your phone is on for work and then it’s off for your family time. I’m curious. Somebody like me, I can never turn it off. So is it easy to turn it off? Have you ever missed a call from Roger Penske?”

The Team Penske driver clarified, “My phone is on, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t answer if it’s something that can be pushed to tomorrow because I just want to be 100 percent all the time. But if Roger or [Penske executive] Walt [Czarencki] calls, I answer for sure.” However, what he said next spoke volumes about the level of maturity Joey Logano has cultivated over nearly two decades of driving full-time in NASCAR’s premier division. 

With the air of a certified Cup veteran, Logano then explained his unconventional habit in today’s connected day and age, stating, “if you’re going to do this for a long time, you have to find balance to do it correctly. If you’re going to give 100 percent to your job, you have to give 100 percent at home, too, because if things aren’t right at home, you’re probably not going to be at your best at your job, either. So I’ve got to make sure I do that balance correctly the best I can.” He affirmed that “limiting distractions on your phone is the best way to keep in touch with your family. Whether that’s social media or emails or phone calls or text messages,” and concluded his answer noting how “the best thing you can do a lot of times is just put the thing down and be present.” 

His advice could be beneficial for those bogged by the constant need for connectivity and access in the 21st century, not just fellow drivers or NASCAR professionals. It sure isn’t a straightforward escape in their extremely difficult line of work. But Joey has his due motivations for harnessing such a relatable outlook toward life. And it wouldn’t surprise many to know that a huge part of that motivation factor comes from his father’s duties towards 6-year-old Hudson Joseph, 3-year-old Jameson Jett, and 2-year-old Emilia Love Logano.

“I probably wasn’t as good at it as I used to be as I am now.” he admitted to Pockrass making a note of his present reality. “But I think there’s just a lot more going on. Anybody watching this with young kids knows you take your eyes off those kids for a second, they’re gone. They’re gone. They’re doing something else. They ran away. They jumped in the pool or something. They’ve done something really scary. So you’ve just got to be aware all the time.” 

Logano’s no-nonsense persona on the track could lead many to expect the same of his demeanor off it. But this heartfelt revelation sure does shed light on a different side to a driver who has practically seen it, and done it all in NASCAR for the last two decades. And when duty calls for Logano to perform in the #22 seat at Team Penske on the weekends, he brings nothing less than that same dedication he holds towards his immediate family. And in return, they support him to the fullest, safeguarding that balance he works so hard to achieve in the high-speed world of NASCAR racing.

An incredible support system surrounds Team Penske’s #22 driver

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Building a family is no simple task, especially if you’re a NASCAR driver who’s traveling for 36 weeks straight on an end. A schedule like that is difficult to balance, and more often than not, one requires the total support of those around him off the track to fulfill their aspirations in the bigger picture. Learning to differentiate the divide between personal and professional can be harder to manage. Joey Logano must consider himself blessed to have equally mature people on both sides of the picture as he does. He had once told Autoweek earlier in the year, “My wife knows when I go to work—don’t call me unless it’s an emergency. When I come home, work knows don’t call me unless it’s an emergency. That way I’m 100% at whatever I’m doing.” 

Explaining himself further with a true professional’s address, he said “I don’t want to take anything away from my family when I’m with them, but I also can’t afford to not give racing 100 percent of my effort when I’m there. I’m responsible for the livelihoods of a lot of people who work on my team and depend on my performance. I have to keep my priorities aligned, and the only way I can do it is putting 100 percent at each thing, not by trying two or three at one time.”

“There are days when you feel like you didn’t do a good enough job of being a dad,” Joey lamented. “But you have to realize that part of being a good dad is setting a good example of going to work and showing them what you do and trying to take them with you. And I try to maximize every moment I have with them.” These values should speak of the immense character possessed by Joey Logano. The man may get on your nerves for his guts on the track. But off it, he oozes nothing but honor, fighting for a better life for both himself and his beautiful family who support him so dearly.

Besides, without a support system like his, it sure would be hard to win two championships in the highest tier of professional stock car racing. But is 2024 the year for number three? Only time will tell for this hopeful playoff contender.