Can A New NASCAR Team Be The Equalizer For Drivers?
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Joey Logano
Another driver who found more success with another team is Joey Logano. The young Connecticut native was hyped as the best thing since sliced bread and was slated to join Joe Gibbs Racing full time in the 2009 season. Unfortunately for Gibbs and Logano, the relationship didn’t turn out to be very fruitful.
Logano captured only one win in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, a far cry from what many fans and experts thought would happen in the young drivers’ rookie season. The season ended abysmally, with Logano only taking home three top-five’s and seven top-10’s. He also finished 20th in the final standings.
He then improved slightly in 2010, having 16 top-10 finishes and even capturing the first pole of his career at Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite finishing more consistently in 2010, Logano couldn’t find his way to victory lane that season and ultimately finished 16th in the final point standings.
Logano’s woes at JGR only got worse, as the driver went winless in 2011 and finished the season with only four top-five and six Top-10’s. He also had an average finish of 19.1 and fell to 24th place in the points standings, which was his worst points finish since joining JGR in 2009.
2011 was the straw that broke the camel’s back however, as longtime crew chief Greg Zipadeli left JGR for Stewart Haas racing, and Logano was then paired with his new Crew Chief, Jason Radcliff. The pair went on to win one race that season at Pocono and even made The Chase that season. Unfortunately, his partial success was too little too late and it was announced that Matt Kenseth would be replacing him in the #20 car the next season.
Logano wasn’t without a ride for very long however, as Brad Keselowski reportedly vouched for the young talent and he was then signed to Penske Racing for the next season. Logano made the most of the opportunity, finding victory lane once during the season and finishing with eleven Top-five and nineteen Top-ten’s. He also finished fourth in final points standings, his best finish in his entire Sprint Cup Career.
Not only did Logano manage all that in his first season with Penske, he also captured two poles, led 323 laps that season, which was the most of his career up to that point and had an average finish of 14.1, which was also the best of his career. With all that being said, it seems that Keselowski was right in vouching for the young driver.
Logano followed that up with probably what was the best season of his young career. He captured five checkered flags, including ones at Texas, Bristol and Richmond. He also had 22 Top-ten finishes, which was the highest in his career. If that wasn’t enough of a comeback for fans, Logano also made The Chase and even finished in the final four that season.
While there are many different factors to consider for why Logano wasn’t successful with JGR, It’s probably important that fans just look at Logano’s newfound success and consider it an example of a driver finding greener grasses somewhere else. The kid was talented. He just needed a place to prove it.