Truthfully, 2015 was supposed to be a swan song for Jeff Gordon. After all, which driver wouldn’t want to bow out while still on the top of their game? The driver had been racking up wins for years, and a final Daytona title would be the icing on the cake. Joey Logano, however, had other plans.

A 25-year-old Joey Logano was in no way a contender for the race, especially with names like Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. Yet, when the chaos happened, Logano, like always, took advantage. Let’s take a look at just what happened.

How did the 2015 Daytona 500 play out?

The Jeff Gordon farewell tour was off to a great start when he bagged pole position for the Great American Race. Things for Hendrick Motorsports looked strong, with Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr winning their Duels. So when the race kicked off, the star-studded line-up led the field to the green flag. For much of the early race, it was the Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson show, with both drivers swapping the lead several times.

Then came the first Big One of the day, which involved several favorites. It all started when Tony Stewart got loose and then over-corrected. Unfortunately, that steered him into Matt Kenseth, and collected a few other cars. The wreck sent Stewart into the outside wall, sustaining heavy damage. On the restart, the Hendrick show resumed, but this time they had an unwanted intruder. Joey Logano stuck his car around the outside and made the top line begin to slowly advance. However, Jeff Gordon was not about to surrender without a fight, snatching the lead back. Just to prove a point, he led 53 laps in a 61-lap green flag segment. The next caution flew, thanks to debris on the track.

When the green flag waved, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were pretty relieved. Although Logano was proving to be a thorn in their side, reinforcements arrived in the form of Dale Earnhardt Jr. It wasn’t long before Dale Jr decided that he didn’t want his teammates to hog all the fun, and he snatched the lead. That was where he stayed for 32 laps until Logano mounted a fresh assault. Johnson had enough toying around and took the lead again, but Logano was having problems, a lack of support from teammates.

Sometime during the race, Penske teammate Brad Keselowski’s engine decided that it had had enough. Moving to the final phase of the race, the action was heating up. Throughout the pack, there was three-wide racing. Up at the front, Johnson, Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards, all swapped the lead among themselves. Then, with 5 laps to go, it happened, and everything went for a toss. Near the rear of the field, an accident was triggered, thanks to Justin Allgaier. All of this was setting up a green-white-checkered finish for the 57th Daytona 500. Logano picked the outside lane, with Hamlin on the inside. The former’s choice was a stroke of genius as he pulled away, but despite another crash, the #22 driver prevailed to win his maiden Daytona 500.

Now, with the first points race just a few days away, Logano has his mind set on defending his title.

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Joey Logano aiming big for 2025

Six months ago, if you had asked a NASCAR fan for their pick of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Joey Logano would have been a distant choice. After all, a subpar average finish stat and the lack of dominance across the season, the Penske driver seemed out of contention. Against all odds, just like the Daytona race, Logano came back. Now, with another season coming, Logano has big aspirations.

Reflecting on Team Penske’s approach after 3 years of their dominance, Logano reflected, “Obviously our team feels pretty confident in themselves right now, which is great. You’ve got to kind of ride that wave of momentum as long as you can, and you see that happen in all sports, whether it’s motorsports or name it.” 

With the titles alternating between Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, with the Penske Fords’ resurgence late in the season, the team can surely look to bring their momentum to this season. It might just be better for the team in the long run since it sets the drivers up confidently for the rest of the year. Do you think Logano can win the Daytona 500 this year?