"I didn’t realize it at the time": Millionaire Joey Logano makes honest admission about early struggles in NASCAR

Joey Logano recently touched upon how his initial four years at Team Penske cemented his position in the Cup Series. Currently, a three-time champion, Logano admitted that he learned lessons during those "awful" days, and that is what made him what he is today.

The Team Penske driver recently sat for a conversation with Greg Olsen of Youth Inc. In the video titled 'Joey Logano's RUDE AWAKENING to NASCAR, and How He Dealt With Failure,' the #22 spoke about his early days' struggle with Team Penske, and how he matured as a driver over time.

"So it took a long time, it took you know, first two years of my Cup career was pretty weak," Logano explained, recalling how he begun his Cup Series career. "Started a little better in my third year. But they already started trying to make some changes that they're going to, you know take me out of the car. I wasn't as successful as I needed to be." [1:42-1:58]

He then reflected on how those initial four years acted as a foundation for his NASCAR Cup Series career. He added:

"[Those four years] is the most important years of my life, and I didn't realize it at the time, because it was awful. But you learn, that's when you learned the most about yourself as in the trenches." [3:42-3:53]

Joey Logano made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2008 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He stayed with Joe Gibbs' team for four years before switching teams in 2012. Logano arrived at Team Penske in 2013 and found redemption.

Joey Logano is currently the most successful driver when it comes to recent titles. The #22 driver claimed two of his three titles in the last three years. Besides winning it in 2024, he claimed the Championships twice in 2018, and 2022.

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Joey Logano shared what made him win the 2024 title against contenders

Joey Logano talks to the audience after being announced as the three-time Cup champion - Source: Imagn Images

Joey Logano recently opened up about the specific moments that put him on a pedestal against his rivals in the season-ending race at Phoenix. Logano shared how he got the better of William Byron and Christopher Bell and claimed the victory over Championship 4 as well as other drivers.

"The whole time I was fully prepared for what can happen and I stayed calm and they didn't and opened up the door for us to take the championship," Logano revealed in the Youth Inc podcast.

Logano capitalized on the mistakes of Bell and Byron during the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway and snatched the lead. He kept his nerve and stayed in the lead. In the end, the #22 came home ahead of his teammate, Ryan Blaney, to clinch his third Cup Series title.