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Heading into the 2024 Daytona 500 this season, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano has a chip on his shoulder. After being unable to even contend for the champion last year after his successful title charge in 2022, Logano seems to have his eyes set on the biggest prize in the sport.
Kicking off the weekend at the 2.5-mile-long tri-oval in style by clinching the Busch Light Pole Award, the Team Penske driver seems to have laid the gauntlet down for his competitors.
The famed event at Daytona Beach in Florida has not been Logano's favorite in terms of the style of racing. 'Plate racing' as it is often referred to as Logano however does acknowledge the crown jewel that is the Daytona 500.
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However, despite the return of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year, Logano might not give the Daytona 500 the ultimate crown just yet. He elaborated on why in an interview with The Athletic and said:
"Winning a championship again is always the number one thing on my bucket list, no matter what. If you asked me what race, I would say Indy (Brickyard 400). But I’d much rather win a championship than 10 Indys, right?"
It is hard to fault Joey Logano for his singular mindset in the sport, especially when he has already grabbed two championship trophies in the sport.
Joey Logano elaborates on the importance of winning the Daytona 500
Team Penske driver Joey Logano touched on the allure of the upcoming event as he recently spoke about one of NASCAR's crown jewel events. Regarded on the same level as NASCAR's Indy 500 or F1's Monaco Grand Prix, the 500-mile-long event has often set the tone for how a new Cup Series season.
The #22 Ford Mustang driver said of the event:
"You go nuts, There's no words to explain it. It's the closest thing to winning a championship that you can get to. Not a championship, but it's the closest thing to it. It's a huge deal."
The 2024 Daytona 500 goes live from the 2.5-mile-long tri-oval this Sunday (February 18) at 2:30 pm ET.
