“We Had the C***nes to Do It”: Joey Logano’s Confident Martinsville Gamble Paying Off Signals a Budding Redemption

Joey Logano seems to be in better form, as he capped off his second top-10 outing after finishing runners-up to Denny Hamlin in the Richmond race on Easter. Team Penske’s #22 was the second-highest-finishing Dark Horse in this Sunday’s short track spectacle at Martinsville, finishing P6, behind teammate Ryan Blaney.

But Logano did not make headlines by helping lead the Ford Performance contingent at the world’s fastest conveyor belt. Instead, his two-tire strategy call leading into Stage 2 made all the noise as he picked up some integral stage points, and the two-time champ appears to be riding a high of confidence heading into Texas next weekend.

Will “Two-Tire” Joey Logano take Texas?

Keeping hold of both his left tires and only switching the rights during the first stage break, Logano set out to challenge Goodyear’s current narrative, considering the tire wear issues prevalent on tracks like Bristol earlier. The minimized pit timing gave Logano the lead for the restart. He then led the field for the next 84 laps before Denny Hamlin passed him to win Stage 2.

Speaking to SiriusXM after the race, Joey Logano elaborated on his mind-boggling strategy. He said, “We talked about it a lot and I’m glad we had the c****nes to do it. It was a bit of a high-risk play… Actually, we were the only team to do it, but worked out pretty well till the left rear came apart, didn’t last like twenty laps. Started chunking and vibrating we lost a lot of grip unfortunately so that one cost us…”  Outlining a relatively better future in 2024, the #22 driver concluded by stating, “Overall solid day, points in both stages, and almost a top-5 so things are moving in the right direction at least.’

This season’s next race will go down at the Great American Speedway in Texas. Logano had won at Texas Motor Speedway exactly ten years ago, and this was the same year he had entered the Championship Four for the first time. Since then, no Team Penske driver has won at Fort Worth’s 1.5-mile intermediate track.

Nevertheless, his most recent outing at this season’s schedule’s third consecutive short track outing at Martinsville was magnificent to watch. Following Ford’s consistent qualifying presence in the top 10, Logano started at P6. He maintained his track position in the following stage, but Stage 2 truly showcased Joey Logano’s veteran prowess. Can we see more of the same heading into next week?

Team Penske eyes its first win of 2024

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After barely making the top 10 at the Las Vegas race following Atlanta, Joey Logano stood 22nd in the drivers’ points standings. With his thrilling Martinsville display, he now stands 14th, with three top-10 finishes and a top-5 to show for it. However, the fact that a Ford car has not taken its driver to victory lane since Kevin Harvick’s three-peat with SHR from 2017–2019 leaves a lot to the imagination.

Interestingly, Martinsville winner and Chevy driver William Byron is the defending champion at Texas. And if recent showings can foretell anything, Byron has already been stellar in the Lone Star state, claiming his second-season victory at COTA’s road race last month.

Another familiar contender for Logano standing in between a Texas victory is none other than teammate Ryan Blaney. The #12 Ford driver has finished in the top 5 four times in ten years of running races on the 1.5-mile intermediate track. He even finished P2 behind Harvick during his 2018 Texas stampede. YRB has some interesting statements on Ford Performance’s official website. He is quoted as saying, “I enjoy Texas. What makes Texas interesting is the commitment level that the driver has to have going to that place. Your commitment level through three and four is just huge. And that to me is always a pretty fun aspect of that racetrack”

With both drivers determined, will Team Penske give Ford their first victory in 2024? We must wait for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 in Texas.

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